Legacies Fix-It's and Add-On's
by jordanbear
Summary: Legacies One-Shots and Add-on's. What I wish and want to happen in CW Legacies. Klaroline, Mizzie, minor-Posie, friendship, family, and a bit of angst. Fix-It ending episode. #1 The Boy Who Still Has a Lot of Good to Do. with many more from the series.
1. The Boy Who Still A Lot of Good to Do

Things had not been running smoothly for the students and faculty at the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young and Gifted. Monsters coming out of urns, keys being stolen, and not to mention almost every teenager's social life was in shambles. Which if you asked them, was the worst thing to happen to them this school semester.

The girls were going through typical teenage girl things on top of being powerful witches, who unfortunately spent more time battling each other, than fighting towards a common good. After the events of tonight though, maybe the twins and Hope could finally reach an understanding, but it was wishful thinking that Lizzie and Penelope would stop planning each other's murders in their head...daily!

Rafael and Landon were still settling in and being the new kids and were still meeting new people every day that they hadn't even seen before. Teachers were still taking notice to them and figuring out their temperament and personality, and others were wondering what human/supernatural, Landon Kirby, was doing in their classroom, and how to make their classroom topics relate to him as well. Between class, spending time with Hope and being alpha to the wolves, there was never not a busy day for the two newbies.

MG and Kaleb, the two head vampires of the school, had a lot going in as well. Kaleb being the maverick of his faction didn't care for the bunny blood diet and was one cute furry face away from starting a rebellion for his vampire faction. Right beside him was his friend MG. The young vampire that Kaleb saw as a little brother, needing guidance and understanding of what a vampire was about in this world. Or at least he was trying, and would try to do, and be better, for the boy. MG was displaying Ripper tendencies that weren't going unnoticed by others, especially Dr. S and Dorian. Two humans who met a Ripper before him, and were uneasy about having one in school. MG was on a close eye and probably will remain on one for the rest of his time at school.

As for Hope, funny enough, the anti-social, detached tribrid couldn't be happier. Her father was back. Weeks after Haley's death, Klaus decided to take the Hollow in himself and end his life for the safety of his daughter. He however did not find peace, how could he, when Hope was a train wreck. The Necromancer even said he was still standing beside her along her way. Well, the monster wasn't the only one who knew Klaus well.

It was a surprise to Hope that her family, especially her father, had a long history with her headmistress, one that started when Caroline herself was Hopes age. After talks with her aunts and uncles, flipping through her dad's old sketch books and hearing stories of the Original Hybrid and the Baby Vampire dating back to before she was even born, and on top of that, finding her headmistress with a glass of wine and an empty bottle, crying her eyes out while looking at two pictures, both that featured her father and Caroline at formal events, that she assumes were taken around the time they first met; Hope began to realize she wasn't the only one that lost him. It did bring Hope a bit of solace and comfort knowing that Caroline, like Hope, saw the good in Klaus and was grieving too. Especially since all that sympathy Alaric had for her during her mother's passing, was non-existent for her fathers.

That grieving did a whole number on both. It took Caroline weeks before she could look at Hope again. Not knowing which parent, she would see in the girls face that day. At first Hope was upset about it, not wanting to cause Caroline, the woman that helped raise her, and spent a big chunk of her childhood time with her, any pain. On the other hand, she was only 15 and orphaned, not to mention having a wolf's temper and needing to take it out on anyone or anything. She felt like Caroline's pain was irrelevant to her own, and not being able to look at the girl was cowardice. After feeling that way in her little bouts of anger though, Hope always reverted back to the former.

Things went back to normal after a while. Caroline was looking at Hope, and Hope returned the looks and they even shared afternoons together sometimes when Caroline wasn't wrapped up in her daughters. When Caroline left last year to recruit and travel in Europe, the school was as expected, heartbroken. Caroline brought a sense of warmth to the school and the students loved having her to talk to. Just stopping by her office for a talk was great. More students were being enrolled, so no one questioned her turbulent travels. But the beloved headmistress herself needed someone to talk to, and in addition to chasing leads for her daughters, there was something else Caroline was up to as well.

Caroline admitted to herself that Klaus Mikaelson had gotten under her skin a while ago. Longer than she used to be able to admit. Now as an adult however, she knew without a doubt that he was her last love and more than that, her eternity. Yet, she lost him. Just like Stefan. She loved Stefan. But her love for Stefan as a husband was nowhere near the love, she had for him as her friend. Her mentor. He was her north star pointing her in the right direction when everything in her life was falling apart. He held her together. And she returned the favor to him, forming an unbreakable bond that couples and best friends alike would envy. He gave Caroline her first chance at change. To reinvent herself, and he was right beside her, helping her along the way. Stefan was her best friend. And that's the person she was still, 13 years later, was grieving for.

Klaus was always the figure in the background, waiting, for her, for however long it takes. A part of Caroline's grief for her was her anger that she took too long. That she took advantage of his love for her and just always assumed that she was allowed to pop-up and disrupt his life because she decided that now was the right time. She allowed others to cloud her decision and happiness early on in their relationship and never gave him a chance. That last day with him, no matter the black cloud that was over him, was a good memory to leave on. But she didn't want a last memory with him.

She wanted _him._

_Everyday_

_Every hour_

_Every minute_

_For Eternity_

She just wishes that it didn't have to take his death to get her ass into gear.

Klaus deserved better than that. Deserved better than her, but while the years matured her, it also made her quite selfish also. She had grown protective of herself. She wouldn't even allow anyone with bad energy near her. She stood up for herself more and put herself first. She wanted her girls to have a strong figure in their life. Someone they were proud to call Mom, and she was further along in life to see clearly and realize that her teenage self wasn't as perfect as she was reaching for back then. Her loyalty kept her in things that common sense should have kept her out of. But this Caroline? In her 30's with the body of a perky teenage cheerleader still, wiser and stronger than before. She had different rules and standards for herself. What she wants, she was going to get. And she wanted Klaus Mikaelson back in her life.

She called Bonnie.

The Bennett Witch did some growing up too, and stopped harboring abhor feelings for the hybrid a long time ago. Her and her old gang had gone up against worse, and honestly somedays it made her crave for the days where Klaus Mikaelson was their biggest problem. Still, she didn't see them hugging or jumping for joy at the sight of each other, nor did she feel anything towards his death, but Caroline did.

Her best friend, who took care of everybody, even if she forgot herself in the process. Traveling gave Bonnie some serious soul searching and the witch realized, that while loyalty was important and being there for a friend, it didn't take going down memory lane to figure out that one friend was usually always Elena. She loved her friends both deeply, they were her family, and when Elena needed help, Bonnie helped.

Caroline never asked for anything. Bonnie always offered, and Caroline always gave Bonnie that choice, letting her know that she could say no and back out at any time. The blonde planner already having 5 back-ups in store. Giving the witch the option, that honestly, her other friends didn't even give sometimes.

Caroline did ask for things though, but they were things that weren't any hassle at all, and were actually welcomed. Yes, to come shopping with her. Yes, to sleepovers and dinners, but that was her bringing everyone together, still trying to be a teenager, even though the world and its problems were aging them faster than they would have wanted.

Caroline never asked for the same things on the same level as Elena.

Except this time. The first time. And the one thing she wanted was Klaus.

She would make that happen.

Hope's Dad came back to her a few months before Spring Break. Caroline didn't ask the Mikaelsons for anything for the spells, she didn't even notify them she was trying. She didn't want to give them, especially the young girl, any false hope.

She wrote them all a letter on the day of the resurrection, asking Rebekah to deliver Kol's to them. Explaining what she did, why she did it, how she did it, and that she would let them all know if it worked. It took Bonnie almost a full year to not only consult spirits and give reassurance, to contact Caroline and them both gather things for the ritual, not to mention getting back-up plans and fail safes in place. Caroline has been traveling and thanks to the school and her daughter's, enough people knew her name, not all liked her, not all had met her, but they at least respected her and her vision for future generation supernatural. Witches while still wary of vampires, were a bit more welcoming knowing her back story and friends, and a few came in handy, for giving Bonnie extra power if need be.

A part of the ritual was Bonnie had to find Klaus in the plain he was on, which left Bonnie in a trance while Caroline waited.

_*****Klaus' Death Plane*****_

_Turning around,the spirit of Klaus MIkaelson met the one and only Bonnie Bennett. To say that Klaus was surprised would be an understatement._

''_She wants you. Hope wants you. I'm bringing you back. I don't know what you will do now, whether you two wait or jump right in, but you will fulfill all your promises to her and make her the happiest vampire walking. You loved her long before anyone realized it, herself included, and made her feel important, even when her friends didn't. That's the Klaus she misses, that's the Klaus she spent the last year fighting for. You better treat her like a Queen. You have always wanted her loyalty, now you have it. The loyalty only she can give, that goes beyond the grave. I should know, I've died like 4 times in my life. You better be worth it Klaus.''_

_For the first time that Bonnie could recall, Klaus Mikaelson genuinely smiled at her, wide and bright._

Hope was woken up in the middle of the night with Caroline putting a finger to lips, telling her to stay quiet and follow her. Getting up and putting her house shoes on, Hope followed the blonde, still confused and sleep ridden to her office.

''Hello littlest wolf.''

The scream that followed made Caroline glad that she got her office sound proofed.

The group message to the Mikaelsons that the plan succeeded had brought them all in to the Mystic Falls mansion that started it all. They all gave their gratitude to Caroline. Hope, Freya, Kol and Rebekah giving uncharacteristically long hugs and Elijah offering his assistance to anything she may need.

Klaus and Caroline didn't jump back in like Bonnie predicted. Caroline was still traveling trying to save her twins and Klaus was getting his baring's together being a single father to a teenage girl. Haley's absence seeming to be a harsh reminder some days, while others, the father seemed to be doing everything right. The world still thought the great Original Hybrid was gone, and while he wasn't hiding, it was sort of fun to pop in and have people think they were hallucinating. They still communicated. Talked on the phone, texted, gifts exchanged, they even made a week-long trip to Rome together. The first place he promised her way back when, he even cheekily sent some pictures of the two in Rome to the Bennett witch. They were after all Klaus and Caroline. They couldn't stay away from each other if they tried.

They were just waiting for things to settle again. The twins and Hope were old enough to work things out themselves and the two parents both promised they weren't getting in the middle of that. And while Klaus was a single parent, Caroline was not, and Alaric the human, would sure have a few words to say about the mother of his children being involved with Klaus Mikaleson, don't even get him started on him being around his girls. That would be a lot, and until they both were at least in the same time zone on a permanent basis, there was no need to alert anyone.

To top it off, while the Salvatore School is flourishing, it is still a school located in the black hole of chaos, Mystic Falls, known for drawing trouble from every known corner of the world. Klaus lived in his mansion with the occasional appearance from Elijah and when Hope went home to 'New Orleans' on some weekends, she would tell Klaus all about the monsters and horrors going on. How it started with opening the school to a simple townie boy and his friend, or so she thought. He was equal parts proud and nervous of his daughter's involvement with these monsters that came out of nowhere, but Hope always came back fine and kept him in the loop. He wouldn't be a father though if he didn't give her more training time to further her fighting capabilities, and offensive magic with her aunt.

This is where Klaus and Hope's aunts found themselves, waiting for their daughter, and niece respectively, to come back from her Spring Break trip, one that involved the Saltzman twins... and later on the little townie boyfriend and his wolf friend after receiving an urgent text with little information.

Hope came back and explained the mummy business and the Triad guy Ryan Clark, that Klaus sent a text to Elijah to look into. And when asked about the road trip itself with her two archnemeses, Hope smiled softly and told them the incident, reassuring them that she wouldn't and has never made fun of Lizzie that way. Their quips and arguments back and forth, never going that far to genuinely hurt each other. Which her family reassured her that they believed her. She explained the painting and Josie's crush three years ago which got 'aww's' from her aunts and a flattered tribrid to blush, but went on to tell them that it was old, and she was pretty sure that Penelope Park would curse her in her sleep for even entertaining the thought.

She explained what took her so long after coming back and sending the text, to searching for three students, getting her newfound allies, the twins, to help the wolf out of confinement and watching her boyfriend die and literally rise like a Phoenix form his ashes. It left the girl shaken understandably, and her dutiful aunts calmed her down once again.

Her dad, ever the attentive when it came to his daughter, listened to every word from her. Enjoying being back and apart of her life, even if it has recently given the former brat prat of Mystic Falls a run for their money in the drama department. Hope still wasn't going to sleep, she had to do damage control on what her and her actions did to Emma and Raf, and she even wanted to check on MG, _the Ripper of Mystic Falls_, her father dubbed him. While the name wasn't meant to be taken serious Klaus once again marveled at how his daughter showed this vampire, that drained someone she cared about, even though he revived, compassion. She cured him before she knew that last tid-bit, and even now wanted to reassure him that she forgave him. If it wasn't for her eyes, he would question if she was truly his, but Haley's words came back to him. She truly holds the best parts of each of them.

Lizzie waited outside of Kaleb's door to see how MG was doing. She was startled awake by Hope hours earlier asking if her or Josie could come syphon Rafael out of the room. The usually composed, ready for combat teen looked unusually frazzled and panicked so when all she said was that MG and Landon were in danger, Josie leaped up and cut her off, not needed an explanation at the moment. The fear in their frenemies eyes enough to sell her.

But make no mistake, she wouldn't be Lizzie if she wasn't nosey. Using an old spell that they learned from their semi-estranged Aunt Bonnie, the girls were able to produce a mirror spell that showed them the activities taken place in the woods that night. If she were being completely honest with herself, it wasn't just about not wanting to be left out of the loop, MG was Josie's best friend and Lizzie's greatest fan. Even on her worse days he somehow still looked at her like she was an angel. She wouldn't admit it, but she loved it, especially the days when the last thing she was feeling was like herself, let alone an angel. MG was her friend too.

They saw the activities in the woods, worried first about MG and his hallucinations, then about if Hope was going to cure him or not. They both sighed with relief when the wolf bite was gone from their friends' stomach. And both twins, while not particularly close to Landon, did shed a tear for the emotional toll it was taking on Rafael, who lost a brother, and on Hope, the girl they both were close to warming up to after this Spring Break trip, who has lost her boyfriend and first real emotional connection since joining the school at age 7.

They watched with baited breath as Landon was revived and Lizzie rolled her eyes at the astonishment of her classmates and Dad.

''Trust Hope, the one of a kind supernatural, to have a one of kind species as her boyfriend. Can she be any more of a snowflake.'' Lizzie grumbled.

''Lizzie!'' Josie admonished, not impressed with her sister's lack of compassion in this situation.

Lizzie flinched. ''Sorry, old habits die hard.'' And they did, putting blame on Hope and pointing out on things in her life that were unfair or annoying had been Lizzies go to with the girl since she was 12; when she thought Hope called her witch bipolar.

Remembering how all of this started, because of her, Josie gave her sister a sympathetic and slightly guilty smile. ''It's fine, but try to reign it in when everyone gets here. Dad is most likely going to have MG go in the cell till Landon's blood is out of his system. Plus a few days to get back to himself. I'm going to go fix it up.''

Josie left to go prepare for her friend, which left Lizzie waiting. She honestly hated that her Dad used that cell. It was one thing to chain the wolves up, it's something they were used to, something they would do for themselves if they weren't at this school. The cell however felt like a prison. Bed, cell door, looking through the bars. It felt like a punishment, but instead of punishing for breaking the rules, it was punishment for being what they were, in her opinion. It was a shaky gray ground, that even though Lizzie was a witch, she understood just as much as vampires. Her mother was one, and Lizzie has spent plenty of time talking to her mom while she was in Europe and before, when she was at school with them. Her mother's early vampire years stories were playing in her head, and she couldn't help but think back to another young vampire, alone and scared of what he has become.

Because of her thoughts she didn't hear Kaleb when he came up the stairs and knocked on the wall above her head to get her attention. Startled and looking up, Lizzie hurried to stand up and face the vampire.

''How is MG? Where is Hope? Was Rafael mean to him on the way back? Where is MG? Is he okay?'' Lizzie asked in rushed questions.

Kaleb looked a bit startled at the young witch in front of him. He wouldn't lie, he didn't really like Lizzie. Or more so, he didn't like the way that she treated MG, just as much as he didn't like the way MG _let_ her treat him. He admired her spunk and her comebacks and attitude to those that annoyed her. Watching her and Penelope go at it is one of the school's favorite past times. He knew Lizzie wasn't all bad, she had good, good that MG saw in her, and liked...loved apparently, but he was never to worried to look and see for himself. Figuring, and as much love as he had for the dude, and despite his guilt trip he laid on Rafael this morning about her, he had to be honest; Lizzie was a pipe dream romance that may never come true for his vampire friend. So, trying to get to know the blonde more than that she was the headmaster's daughter, seemed like a waste of time.

Though judging from the panic and genuine concern he can smell rolling off the girl, maybe everything wasn't all one sided. Lizzie just seemed better at hiding it.

''Whoa whoa now, slow down. You know better than that, I wouldn't let anyone mess with my boy. Your pops took him to the basement. Rafael and Hope went to wait for him in Emma's office, they owe her an apology, and I'm pretty sure after that Raf is being shackled tonight and is being watched just in case.''

''Why is he in the cell? He's been on a cold hard ground all night. He needs rest in his own bed and his own room.''

''That would be great, but you know Dr. S ain't going for that. Too much of a danger.'' Kaleb said rolling his eyes.

Kaleb's talks with Dr. Saltzman were the second things, next to MG, that were plaguing his mind. He wondered if the doctor was actually going to go through with some things and not just saying stuff to appease them like little children. He had respect for him, but he didn't trust him. As prejudice as it may seem, the headmaster was human, a likeable one, but still one none the less, and he would never understand what he and MG were going through. Or Rafael and Jed. Hell, judging by the many arguments and tension filled stares, he couldn't even understand his own teenaged witch daughters. He could relate and go through as much craziness as he can in his lifetime, but until he has the weight of an eternity of uncertainty on his back, or know the feeling of breaking every bone in his body, or fighting for control with magic and humanity, the '_understanding__'_ he had with them, wasn't the right word to use.

''No no, that's stupid-,'' Lizzie started.

''What's stupid?'' Josie interrupted looking between the two, waiting for someone to talk.

''MG needs to be in his bed, with his things that make him feel better, not in an old cold cell, that makes him feel worse than he already is.'' Lizzie went on, ignoring her sister.

Josie took a breather before turning to Lizzie. ''I agree, and I tried to make it as comfortable as I can down there, but Dad said-''

''Dad has been making exceptions everywhere and hardly is the poster head for 'follow the rules'.'' Lizzie argued turning towards Josie.

''This really isn't the time for rebelling Lizzie.''

''For once I'm not trying to, I'm trying to help a friend, _your_ best friend-''

''I know.''

''Who has had a horrible night thanks to that hobbit-''

''It wasn't like that-''

''Just syphon MG out of that cell, while Dad's with Emma and Hope,'' turning to Kaleb, ''and can you carry him up here by yourself?''

Giving her a pointed and slightly offended look of _bish please_, Kaleb grew serious and asked, ''What about your Pops?''

''I'll handle him.''

Kaleb and Josie exchanged worried looks with each other but went to follow their orders.

''What do you four think you are doing!'' Alaric looked shocked coming into the hall to check on the students, and finding Josie putting a spell on MG's door, with said vampire and Kaleb inside sitting by the entrance.

Hope rushed out of her room, closing the door behind her, to look at the scene in front of her. Lizzie raised an eyebrow with a tilt of her head to the door, and Hope sternly shook her head at her.

''I told them to leave me in the cell Dr. Saltzman.'' MG said weakly looking guilty and with his head bowed.

''Yes MG, where you should be, Josie stop.'' Alaric ordered.

''No, Jo, keep going.'' Lizzie told her sister.

Lizzie grabbed her Dad's arm and pulled him into Kaleb's room.

Hope turned to the vampire that killed her boyfriend. Landon was alive but that image wouldn't be leaving her head any time soon. She knows it wasn't anyone's fault entirely. Landon should have stayed out of MG's personal life and not put his wishful family fix-it problems on MG, and while she should be upset that MG let go of his control and attacked Landon, she knew MG was a potential Ripper, and he was learning control. Trying to, and succeeding...before all of this, on top of the emotional destructive family day he received, curtesy of said girl's boyfriend. She didn't want to hold grudges. She knew that no one was fully bad, and no one fully good, and MG already felt bad enough for all of them. Raf was still angry. Angry at MG, and at himself.

Giving Kaleb an acknowledgement to keeping the peace. She turned to MG.

''Hey.''

''You don't have to talk to me, I know your angry.''

Hope sighed. ''I'm not, I was upset and sad, but there's no point of going over what-ifs. You're okay, Landon's okay, Raf's okay. The Super Squad will be okay eventually too.''

MG regarded the tribrid and nodded his head.

''I'm glad they took you out of the cellar.''

''I belong there.''

''No, you don't.'' Josie, Kaleb, and Hope all said at the same time and chuckled.

Hope regarded the sad vampire once more. ''You have to forgive yourself MG. I did, Landon did, Raf is angrier with himself than you, but him too. We all forgive you.''

MG nodded his head again, not giving any indication that Hopes words took effect. They all however turned towards Kaleb's door towards the end of the hall, where shouting could be heard between the headmaster and his daughter.

''He just spent hours laying on a hard-cold dirt ground, he needs to be in his own room with people around him.''

''People he can hurt, if he loses control.''

''He's not! Dad I promise there won't be any drama, you're actually the one making it now! I just think it would be better if MG was up here, where he can have a support system around him.''

''It's not your call and you can't be sure of that. It's a nice thing to do, but I need to protect the other students left here as well.''

''Josie is putting a containment spell on the door and windows, he can't get out, but being surrounded by things reminding him of his humanity is what's best for him right now. Hello! Mom's a sober sponsor coach, class of 2012, with the first Ripper.''

''You are not your mother and once again, you can't make that call!''

Ignoring the slight sting of not being put in the same category to handle things as her mother, Lizzie kept going. ''But Hope can? Rafael? They made calls tonight, and look where that has them! Were lucky if Emma stays with us after this!''

''This isn't about Hope-''

''It's always about Hope, but for once I'm going to ignore your double standard and favoritism and focus on MG. Nothing is different up here than it is in the cellar-''

''Yes, except he's here, and not down there, where his mind can remind him that-''

''That what? He's a vampire? That he's on punishment? For what! For being what he is? For following along Landon and Rafael on a day of hell? Since when do we punish people for being who they are? It was an accident! Not an intentional killing spree!''

''He drunk Landon's blood Elizabeth.''

''He's a vampire! They drink a bit more when their upset too! That's what they do! And Landon's back alive. MG is traumatized of his actions and I bet the others aren't even going to get in trouble for their actions today.''

''Someone died.''

''We live in the supernatural world, everyone dies, whether by occurrence, murder, or collateral damage. It can't be avoided. You knew the risk and dangers when you brought him back here, even after he was voted out. Giving them the night off to deal with it is one thing, but just letting them skate by, like the rules are optional are another thing.''

''Do not lecture me like I am the child. You want to talk about rules young lady, you let Rafael out in the first place.''

Lizzie gave a dry laugh. ''Yea, sorry to break it to you daddy dearest, but wrong twin.''

''Yea like I'm gonna believe that.'' Alaric said with a disbelieving and dry chuckle.

Lizzie jerked back at her dads' words. She should have seen it coming. Like always, she was the evil twin to Josies good. Yes, she told Josie to get MG out, but the girl could have refused. She wanted to help her friend too. When Josie does it, it's putting her happiness above all others, when Lizzie does it, she's obviously lying or is trying to start drama. She was a teenager, so on some level she did care what people thought of her, however small that level may be. But she wouldn't obsess over it, wouldn't let it break her. It wasn't her job to tell people what they thought of her. One of the lessons her mother gave is that people will think of you how they want, you could change and transform, and tell them till your blue in the face. They think how they want to think. Its why she gave up on that 'nice bracelet'. It wasn't worth it.

But that's_ other_ people. Classmates, strangers, the stupid townies.

_Not_ her father.

She did care what her family thought.

And in 6 words. She understood loud and clear what her father thought.

Alaric, sensing the hurt he caused his daughters, tried to back-track. Lizzie was a horrible liar. He could spot her lies a mile away. Always could have. So, he knew she wasn't lying. Josie had syphoned the room. He closed his eyes and took a deep breathe, knowing he screwed up. He was upset about Dorian and Emma, the boys leaving campus, plus the events of tonight, and the new Landon discovery. He wasn't necessarily taking it out on Lizzie, but neither of them is in the right head space to finish this conversation.

''Lizzie sweetie-''

Lizzie was upset, but with her mother's techniques still in her head from their trip, she tried to put the lid back on her growing temper and magic, and instead use her words.

''You know what _Dr. Saltzman?_ I am going to go and help MG. The vampire who killed your prodigal daughters' boyfriend. The best friend of your Disney princess daughter, and your Gemini coven demon twin reminders friend.

''Lizzie! No. I meant-''

''While I'm doing that, expect a call from Mom-,

''You bothered your mother about all of this!" Alaric yelled, outraged.

''-who was shocked that all this insanity has been going on around here, and all she ever hears about are my fuck-ups and episodes. Lizzie continued, ignoring her interruption.

''She is busy with important things over there, Elizabeth!''

Lizzie continued, ignoring her father's words. ''Explain to her why the students here are getting away with everything and don't look to you for guidance anymore, only when you catch them and they have no choice but to let you come along for the ride. Explain to her how you lost one of our best teachers and one of the student's favorites. Explain to her how you could let chaos come back to the door where your daughters lay their head at night and not keep her in the loop. Explain to her why you value others before your own or show lack of interest in what is going on in your own kids' life. Explain to her how that favoritism and values have gone above just people and spread to the factions of this school. Equality and Inclusion, right? Pretty different when you treat all vampires like the next coming of Jack-the-Ripper Jrs. Lastly explain to her how you sat and fed us baby crumbs about changing things around here, when you truly have no idea how, or even want to! God forbid, we don't follow the moral compass of a human! Who doesn't know-''

''I know a lot! I have seen and experienced a lot, and more-''

''But unless you are one of us, that understanding can only take you so far! Respect and trust have to come in.'' A voice behind them said.

Josie interjected coming to stand by her twin. She heard enough of the argument and was going to step in to defend Lizzie about her being the one that syphoned Rafael out. But instead of walking in on the beginnings of a Lizzie episode, she walked in on Lizzie voicing the thoughts of all the students. The vampires, the witches, and the wolves. Lizzie would have made a great spokesperson for them, Josie had no doubt about it, but it's a shame that it had to reach this point in their family that Lizzie was actually taking it seriously.

''And you are losing that little by little, day by day, with the way your handling things here. They respect you, but they also see your barely hanging on by a thread, and instead of asking for help, confiding in Mom, or hiring other adults. You turn towards a student. Then turn around and is shock and hurt when she turns against you, or doesn't tell you something. You let her get away with it, always, why would she think any different.'' Josie questioned her father.

''We've been over this, Hopes been through a lot, she knows things and can help- and give her some credit, when things are truly over her head and important, she does tell me.''

''Really.'' Lizzie stated darkly. ''Did she tell you her Dad was alive and back.'' Lizzie smirked.

''WHAT!''

''Oh, you didn't know...Mom does.'' Lizzie gave wide eyes and innocence in her voice. ''Why did you think your favorite was actually in a good mood, and was trying to be social for a change?''

''Enough! Not now Lizzie.'' Josie admonished. Turning back to her dad she repeated his statement. ''So, Hope knows how to help? Has more knowledge about more stuff than us? That's your reasoning for letting her help you all these times?''

''Yes!''

''Yea! Well, so do vampires twice her age, so do normal adults, the hidden message here is adults! People send their kids here to learn to be the best versions of themselves, whatever that version is, based on them. Not you. They also send them here to be kids. We're kids. We are here to help, to defend this school that you built for us, and to protect our home, but the secret meetings, whole plans where not even _you_ are involved in, and hidden agendas, that's where kids stop being kids. You may not like him, but you liked her mom, and Mom is friends with her dad. I'm almost positive that they wanted Hope to have a good childhood and a normal supernatural teenagers' life. Our adult years are going to be tough as it is, Hope's especially. We should be enjoying this time.''

Trying to once again be the peace maker in this family meeting, she ended her point the same way as Lizzies. She dropped the big guns. _Their Mom_.

''Me and Lizzie decided not to get into school things when we visited mom, it was obvious she didn't know some things, and we weren't getting in the middle of it. We talked about ourselves, and classes and shopped. It isn't our job to tell her about the school. It's yours. We talked and she listened, and that week we spent with her, is the best we've felt in a long time, and no it isn't a girl thing or being in a foreign country thing, it's not even strictly a mom thing. It's a_ parent_ thing. She just listened Dad, that is all were asking you to do for us. We share you with all of these students and we are so proud of the people you have helped, but...are we really asking for that much? Is it any different than how you treat Hope, and dozens of others at this school?''

Lizzie jumped back in. ''I'm going to do what every other teen at this school does: Go with my own plan, and just include you because I was caught. MG stays upstairs, he can't get out, and someone with bring him blood bags. When everyone is in classes, I'm sure he'll be fine to leave and go take a shower and what not before coming back to the room.'' The twins started to turn and walk away.

''And if he uses that shower time to hurt someone. He overpowers Kaleb and does damage. Or worse Rafael sees him and gets angry-''

''It isn't about them, and I'd like to see Raf try, I doubt he would, but since the headmaster isn't very concerned about his students today-''

''I'm trying to see this at every angle, even if it means playing devil's advocate!''

''MG already feels like a monster, he's not going to go days without bathing and in a cold hard cell and look like one too. The end!'' Lizzie stormed off, and after giving her dad a disbelieving look, Josie followed.

The twins ran into Kaleb on their way back to MG.

''Hey, I went to my room to pack up somethings, I decided to room with MG and we were gonna switch out me and Landon, but uh, MG locked the door. I can still hear him so he's okay, but Emma said it would be best not to force him to open it, but to let him do it himself.''

The twins looked at each other and nodded. ''Were right behind you.'' Turning the hall, they ran into Hope, who was coming out of her room.

''Where are you going?'' Hope walked out of her room to catch up with Lizzie, while Josie rushed along with Kaleb.

''To talk to MG, and hopefully get him to unlock the door, so we can check on him.''

Images of Lizzie's way of helping when they were dealing with Dana's death came back to Hope and she started shaking her head at the blonde.

''You can't force him to deal with this Lizzie, just like you berated Landon for doing, he needs his family to-''

''I'm going to stop you right there because whatever your saying, is the wrong thing.''

Hope looked shocked and offended and was about to express as such, but Lizzie beat her to the punch.

''You and your boyfriends' words are what is on repeat in his head, the standard he is looking at, and for once Hope, it's the wrong example to give.''

''What's wrong with being around family and needing them?'' She asked affronted with her nose scrunched up.

''Nothing! It's your definition of family that's the problem! Your definition is far from the rest of the school's definition. You keep sprouting 'Always and Family', and that's great, you have that. It's just not the standard and to be honest it has gotten you nowhere until recently and that was because of my Mom.''

''What are you-'' she questioned, before getting cut off again.

''This is a boarding school! Students come here to learn and to live. Are you taking notice of the last word? Do you not remember all of the students that were still left here, while only a hand-full of us, left for Spring Break? Do you think it's because most of them _wanted_ to be stuck here? This isn't just a school Hope, its-''

''I know that! This place is practically a second home, I've been here as long as you.''

''Yes! But we have _other_ homes to go to! This is a_ second_ home to us! For most of these students, it's their _only_ home. My mom and dad didn't just put together a school for us to learn in, they built a sanctuary, a home, a place we could feel safe, because 9 times out of 10, those things they once felt while in the home they grew up in, goes out the window when they show thier true colors.''

Lizzie continued on seeing her point wasn't coming across.

''Most parents aren't standing at the door with their arms wide open after they see their child shift into a wolf, or set a tree on fire with their mind, or get veins under their eyes, and look at them with red eyes. Most of the time after that, those once safe homes are dead to these students and they turn to look for better options. Most of the time, their only option. It's a boarding school, because if the teachers and my parents are going to help them, the first step is letting know they have a safe place to call home.''

Hope was silent, slightly chastised and sympathetic to what the realities of her other classmates have going on in their lives, but still wondering why she couldn't be one of the friends that get to speak to MG.

''You were raised a type of way and I'm not saying it's wrong, but you cannot project that to the people here. Family _is_ 'Always and Forever', you and your family are right,'' she agrees waving her hand at the other Mikaelsons present in Hope's room behind them, ''but it isn't just about being bound by blood. It can't be like that here. Where these students who have lost that blood family, that turned them away when they needed them most, you go around saying that without them, they don't have anyone?''

Realization dawning on Hope and the words she has spoken over the years float across her, she runs a hand in her hair. ''That's not what I meant,'' looking at Lizzie in the eyes, ''I get that now, I do.''

''Yea, now. But before that even you told your best friend Rafael, that he wasn't truly Landon's family, because they weren't related by blood. That him being a part of a crew wasn't a real thing.''

An old memory flashed in her head and the young tribrid flinched. ''A lot has changed since I said that-''

''Yea, the fact that you have your blood family back is what changed. The other option, the option to have a family to pick was just an alternative for you, one that you didn't want, and thought was the lesser option. Well, Hope it's the _only_ option for kids here. It's maybe MG's only option now too. I'm going to go and talk and remind him that he has a family still, one that loves and supports him and that wants what's best for him, and that will stay by his side no matter how dark he may become. That's what you do when you care about someone and their hurting right? What families do? So, please tell me, what makes your love better than ours?''

Seeing Hope's eternal mask slip, and her pinched lips, even though she turned her head away. Lizzie tried to back track and explain it better. She honestly wasn't trying to pick a fight this time. Her and Hope having already steeled away their past disputes in the car and with Josie. Lizzie honestly wasn't looking to make new ones. She promised her Dad that her plan was no drama, just a support MG group, so igniting a dispute and criticizing Hope's family morale was not the drama-free night she promised.

''I'm not trying to shame you, and it isn't like I'm banning you from joining us in the hallway or making you stay in your room. I'm just suggesting that maybe you talk to MG another time and not right now, when its delicate, and especially since your closer to Landon and Rafael than any of us and he's still feeling major guilt.'' Lizzie explained softly.

''I get it. I don't like it. That that's how I made people feel, but I get it.'' Hope finally composed herself to respond.

''You don't do it on purpose, and honestly if my family was built like yours, I probably would feel the same too. We were raised different. My mom was an only child, her friends had to become family. 'Always and Forever' is important to you, I'm not trying to disrespect it. But my mother taught me that blood isn't the most important thing, it's just DNA. Blood makes you related, loyalty makes you a family. It's because of her thinking, that me and Josie have her as a mother, or are even here to begin with. Nothing is wrong with your family code. I'm just asking you to respect the rest of ours.''

Hopes chastisement before felt nothing like the harsh truth it did now. For once Lizzie truly had a point. Hope was standoffish and she believed in her family motto, and still did, but by believing in that and putting so much emphasis on it, she never allowed herself to embrace friendships or relationships...before Landon. Who needed friends, when you had family? She never even realized that they could easily become family in return.

In the office earlier with Emma, Raf, and Dr. Saltzman, he said that students look to her for example, even though I never asked it of anyone, my actions did. That by my being this unstoppable force that was always alone and never interacted, yet somehow was still strong, confident, and a good student, all of which aren't bad qualities to have, that it made students think that if the one of a kind tribrid can be so special by just cutting everyone off and gain special privileges, then why can't they? I didn't know that's how people saw me, I didn't care. But now with my family back, wanting to catch up, and nothing to show for the years spent at this school, because I treated it as a hotel and took for granted my second...well honestly? First stable home.

In the beginning Rafael said after only two days at school, he had already heard enough about Hope Mikaelson and her 'sunny disposition'. I'll admit, the way he said it hurt, condescendingly, sarcastic, like her being happy was the most improbable thing on the planet, but for her, she knew she had no right to feel that way. She made sure she came off that way, so no one would get close. She was protecting herself...or she thought she was. She didn't even think of what she could possibly be missing out on, or that she was inadvertently aiding in the students' thinking that they couldn't find family within these walls at school.

She knew the story of how the twins came to be, so did everyone at school. They all knew the headmistress was a vampire, and vampires can't have children, and yet two little girls were running around calling her mommy and wanting to play dress up and have tea parties with her. She never thought about it much, but obviously it was something that Lizzie always thought about.

Children weren't supposed to pick favorite parents, but it was obvious Lizzie's was Caroline, and not just because they looked alike, which is why most never commented about the parentage of the twins. For the first time Hope saw Lizzie acting like her Mom, and not the clothes and hair and beauty they both possessed. But for the other qualities' that made Caroline everyone's favorite at the school, and why Hope herself, adored the blonde she spent a majority of her childhood with, and loved when she came to visit.

_Love, loyalty, respect, compassion, and empathy._

All of which would easily describe Caroline herself, none of which any of the students here would pinpoint as Lizzie's best qualities. And they aren't shown, unfortunately, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have them. But if you truly knew Elizabeth Saltzman, you knew they were there.

She is her _mother's daughter._

''Alright. Talk to MG, I'm going to get cleaned up, I'll stop by later to see how you guys are...I hope he's doing okay.''

Lizzie gave a sympathetic look, and a murmured an okay, and turned and left the hallway, back towards MG's room.

Hope went in her room, and saw the faces of her father and aunts all with sympathetic or pitying smiles on their faces.

She leaned her head back against the door and closed her eyes, letting out a big stressful sigh after today's events.

All of MG's classmates were by his door. Kaleb, Lizzie, Josie, and even Penelope came back early from her trip when Josie texted her what happened, and that MG might need her. She was huddled up next to Josie against the opposite wall, facing MG's door, looking heartbroken for her friend. Lizzie and Kaleb were sitting in front of it. Emma standing beside Kaleb and Lizzie, monitoring the whole thing. Alaric was behind her at the end of the hall, showing support by being there, but also disapproval by being further from the group with a stern face and arms crossed. The shuffling's of Hope and her relatives coming around the corner stopped Kaleb from reassuring MG of the words he said in the car. Hope, Klaus, Freya, Rebekah, and Keelan all stopped short of the bedroom door before the vampires. Leaning against the wall behind Hope. Alaric leaned off the wall, and stood up straighter at seeing Klaus, which the hybrid himself just smiled smugly and waved. Emma and Josie both gave Alaric a look that said 'stand down, it wasn't the time', While Hope muttered a ''dad, please'' under her breathe.

With an encouraging nod towards Kaleb from Emma to continue, the vampire spoke again to his friend.

''If you don't want to come out of this room, then don't. If you do and your just scared of what others will think and do, remember what I told you in the car. They gotta get through me, and I promise you right here again brother, I'm not gonna let that happen.''

No voice came out of the room. But a shuffle and sniffle were heard, and a shadow was seen at the bottom of the door, letting them know MG came closer.

''MG.'' Lizzie said lowly.

Kaleb and the others braced themselves for the blonde twins next words. When looking for sympathy and compassion, most would look towards the brunette twin, and were surprised that she wasn't speaking up and letting Lizzie do the talking. So far tonight though, the blonde has been doing great with standing up for the school and its students, not to mention herself. They were now just worried how she would speak to MG, or how MG would _respond _to her.

Kaleb wasn't joking in the morning when he talked to Rafael. Everyone knew about the crush that MG had on the headmaster's daughter; and that Rafael got together with the vampire's girl. For one, the vampire wasn't hiding it, and two this school could give the townies a run for their money in the gossips section, word got around fast here. They weren't stupid though, and despite what many thought of MG, he wasn't clueless. MG cared about Lizzie Saltzman way more than Lizzie cared about him. Kaleb's words were true that night talking to MG. Lizzie bossed him around and most time, made it seem like MG wasn't good enough to be in her presence. And MG took it, and annoyingly, never gave up. That might be because while Lizzie didn't care for him, she was at least possessive of him, judging by the Penelope/Dana fiasco. And MG would take that. MG wasn't celibate waiting for Lizzie, not by any chance, but MG also made it known that they were just girls holding space, until he could get _the_ girl. Everyone was sincerely crossing their feelings hoping that Lizzie said the right things. Judging by the look of sympathy and worry on her face however, the blonde witch maybe just as worried about the silent vampire as everyone else.

''I'm not a vampire. I can't level with you like Kaleb can, but aside from what you are, I know who you are. I know a funny, nice, and friendly person who is an amazing friend, who yes, had a rough night, but this one night shouldn't define how you see yourself. You just told that the other day remember? I got upset and lost control...again, and almost impaled my Dad with a knife, I felt terrible remember? You told me that one thing didn't define my entire being? Why can't that apply for you too?''

Silence greeted the questioning...until.

''It isn't the same thing. I'm a vampire. I killed someone.''

Lizzie and everyone in the hall perked up at the voice. It was soft and short, but he was responding at least.

Kaleb didn't know why he was surprised. He had been the ears to hear all of MG's infatuated comments about the blonde since he started here. MG could ignore every other person in this school, but he couldn't ignore Lizzie. He would talk to her, even if he was just saying he didn't want to talk.

''Okay then.'' Lizzie said nodding, trying to hold the conversation. ''No, I'm not a vampire. But we're taught to understand and respect one another at this school, and you said you were worried that people would hate you. Well, if anyone does, they obviously weren't paying attention in diversity class because it is completely normal for a vampire to have a slip. To kill someone. We all have our vices or enemies that affect us, whether black magic, the moon, and in your case, blood. I've been told its apart of being a vampire. No vampire is created without death, no transition is complete without blood, right? Vampire handbook? It's a part of who you are.'' Turning to Kaleb, who gave an encouraging nod, she tried to continue and hit on points that MG was most worried about.

''Kaleb wasn't fully wrong the other day. I'm not saying there aren't any downsides to being a vampire, and I'm not trying to downplay the events of tonight or your feelings, but... he was trying to give you something to look forward to. A bright side of things. We are faster, stronger, and fearless. We're better. We shouldn't apologize for that. This school was built so we wouldn't feel ashamed of our differences or what we are, but somehow its failed, because while I'm sure you are devasted that you killed someone, regardless if they came back to life, you now think your immediately put in a column that makes you a bad vampire. After one mistake, that you should give up and bow out? That's not the MG we know.''

''Vampires aren't supposed to hurt others here. I broke a rule. I deserve to be alone.''

''The rules are going to be changing, so don't even worry about that.'' Kaleb said with a backwards eyebrow raise to the headmaster behind him. ''That shouldn't even be a thought.''

''That doesn't mean your horrible MG. And certainty doesn't mean you deserve to be alone. And you're not. You have family. Kaleb is your family, Me and Josie, even Satan reincarnated, Penelope is your family.''

''P?''

''Hey MG.'' The raven-haired witch next to Josie said softly to her friend, notifying him of her presence.

''We argue, we fight, I am not promising that I won't try murder her by the end of the week'', chuckles went about the hall, with Penelope adding in a 'ditto' on her part, ''but this is your family. One that you made by yourself. If we don't agree about anything else, it's that we all care about you. We wouldn't be out here sitting on this hard floor if we didn't. We need you. And I'm positive that Hope isn't in the market to start interviewing for replacements on the Super Squad.''

''She isn't and she wouldn't want to. They already have the perfect members.'' Hope said with a smile, gaining one from the other two members in the hall.

A chuckle was heard behind the door.

''And lastly, you think it's one strike and you're out, or three, or fifty? You're going to have an eternity, and dozens of strikes. It's not about that, that's normal, its's about how you keep pushing yourself to be the very best of you, despite the strikes.''

More silence greeted her, and Lizzie went in for the kill that has been saving her all day.

Lizzie shrugged, ''but hey, like you said, I'm a witch. I wouldn't know. But someone else would. You'd like her. She could relate to all of this, and it would have taken her a shorter amount of time to get through to you. Someone that truly understands and isn't just saying stuff to manipulate you out of the room.''

''What other vampires do you know, that don't go here?'' Kaleb asked surprised and skeptical.

''She was 17 when she turned. It wasn't an accident. Someone thought it would be funny to pick a person and change them. She went through her transition alone. Confused and disoriented about the where, who's, and what's. There wasn't any school back then, she had to rely on others help and herself to keep going. She was doing okay. She smiled big and she was happy. Playing the human part, so no one would suspect a thing, but someone did. Her parents. Her father came from a long line of vampire hunters. While most dads watch the game and drink beer, he spent his time hunted vampires, getting others to lead them to big populations of them, and finishing them off too. Her mother was a law official, but she knew about the supernatural and even joined her husband in his extra curriculars of hunting. So, guess how their reaction was when the vampire hunters realized that they had a vampire for a daughter?''

''Her father tied her to a chair, and tried to condition her.''

''What's that?'' MG asked

Lizzie gave a pitying smile with an eyeroll. ''A nice word for torture. Or at least his definition was. He stuffed blood in her face and every time the veins came out or red eyes, he would soak her in vervain or shoot her with wooden bullets. He screamed at her that his little girl was gone and that she was a monster but he would help her. While she screamed that she was still herself, and was one of the good ones. He wanted her to associate blood with pain. For her to be his definition of a good vampire.''

''But without blood she would die.'' Hope stated confused.

''Exactly.''

''Her mother when she found out, wouldn't even look her in the eye and told her friend, that her daughter was dead.''

They heard a sharp intake of breath behind the door, and Lizzie ignored the sniffles she could hear from the Hope and Penelope.

''She felt like that for a while, even when the mother was compelled to forget her daughter was a vampire and later remembered, she put steps in motion to have her killed. It took time but eventually the mother did except her daughter, whatever love that was left in her, made her change her mind, and after the daughter went through another torture session, she realized that having a vampire daughter was better than having a dead daughter.

That vampire went on to be amazing. Optimistic, caring, only drunk from blood bags, and was the most loyal friend you could wish for. She put herself on the chopping block for everyone. She was an only child so her friends became her family.

She had slipped too, though. Her mother died. Through the years, they managed to repair what was broken, they were close. When her mother died however, the grief was too much, and the enemy that blood can be, reared its ugly head. I don't have a body count number for you, so you can use your imagination. Grief came and went, and life went on, 30 years plus into her eternity, and while there probably were more slips, none marred who she was. The same strong unstoppable force that everyone she meets just can't help but love.

With a deep breath she straightened her back and finished her story. ''Now does that sound like a bad vampire to you? One who went through all of that, and had a few slips in her years, but still has her humanity intact?''

''That's not really fair though, how do you know she's still okay, and not going around attacking people? This is just from your perspective?'' Penelope remarked.

Everyone appreciated the story. They had to admit that it hit a lot of marks that MG's did. They just wanted to make sure she was authentic, and this story wasn't just that, a _story_, to get MG to come out of the room. Lying to the vampire now, would just make everything worse later.

Lizzie gave a little smile and a hair flip and stood up straighter from her seat on the floor. ''No, it's all of our perspectives of the vampire.'' Relishing in the confused looks of the residents in the hallway, save for Alaric and the elder Mikaleons, the latter who judging by the smirk and impressed looks on their faces, knew very well who Lizzie was getting her inspiration from. Lizzie unveiled the truth.

''It was my Mom.''

''Caroline! Ms. Forbes!'' Voices spoke from all around the hall.

Josie chuckled. ''You didn't see that coming did you?''

''So, tell me MG, the woman who rescued you that night, the one you swore up and down was your angel, sent from heaven to rescue you and you looked up to, is she a bad vampire? She has a body count, she's fed from the vein?''

MG stuttered out a reply, confused about his reasonings, but absolutely sure about one thing. ''She isn't bad. She's Ms. Forbes. We love her.''

''She loves you guys too. And your right and wrong. She's not bad, and she's not fully good. There isn't any bad or good. She's on the gray area. If witches and wolves were first here and made up the black and white views of the world, then the creation of the vampires is this world's gray area. There isn't a specific side of the spectrum. There's just that person. You guys are the only ones who naturally get eternity, no need for spells, or being changed into a hybrid. You can't expect to be that best version of you, when you have forever to figure out who you are. Don't box yourself. Mom's in her 30's and she still strives to be the best version of her. She's teaching me and Josie too. Though Josie's having more luck than me.''

''You're not doing too bad.'' MG reassured her.

''Thanks, though you're a bit biased.'' Lizzie took another long breath to stay on topic, so they could wrap this up. ''Well MG, I think that covers all aspects of what you were worried about tonight. You have a family. We're all out here waiting for you. You aren't a bad vampire. My Mom, who you think is perfection walking has done worse than you, and yet, your perception of her hasn't changed, and lastly, I already made some calls, the Salvatore School is about to go through some changes. All of which are in favor of us and you are not in trouble.''

''We really want you to come out. Someone needs to keep Kaleb in check, make Josie stop stressing and smile for once, Hope has an uneven number for her Super Squad, and please I'm begging you to keep Penelope away from me.'' The people on her list chuckling at the blonde, with Penelope mumbling under her breath something Lizzie chose to ignore at the time.

''Plus, who's going to tell me I'm pretty every day.''

''Ugh-'' Penelope bemoaned.

''Lizzie!'' Hope and Josie both groaned.

''She was doing so well.'' Kaleb whispered hanging his head and shaking it.

The blonde, unbothered by the others responses, lifted a shoulder. ''I'm still me.''

''You don't need me to tell you were pretty, you know you are.'' MG's amused voice said from behind the door.

''Well yea, but that doesn't mean I don't like to hear it.''

''You look very pretty tonight.''

Lizzie rolled her eyes. ''You don't even know what I'm-''

''Since its cold in here, your wearing sleep pants, with a short t-shirt. Your legs get colder than your arms, and it is either that white and grey striped t-shirt you stole from Josie, or your pink t-shirt, depending on your pants.'' MG interrupted her.

Hope and Josie laughed silently shaking their head.

Penelope put her head and her head and groaned at her _still _love-struck friend.

The other occupants had looks of amusement on their face, the response given, certainty not the one expected.

Lizzie looked down at her pajamas impressed.

''Does this boy really have this girls' pajamas memorized?'' Kaleb asked wide eyed with a cock of his head, asking no one in particular.

''Well...lucky guess. But you know, with me, I don't settle for half-assed. Don't tell me I'm pretty if you haven't even looked at me to know.'' Lizzie said with crossed arms.

Silence...and then.

''Quite pouting.''

The door opened.

Everyone on the floor stood up.

MG looked at Lizzie with a soft smile.

''You look really pretty.''

''Can we hug you now?'' Josie asked

MG lifted his head to slowly nod, but not fast enough and Penelope, Josie, and Lizzie all barreled in to give tight squeezes.

Next Kaleb gave his brother a hug and a pat on his back. Hope was next, and while it wasn't frenzied like the girls, it was longer. MG needing Hopes forgiveness and a silent thank you, for still saving him after what he did.

''Can I give one?''

Landon Kirby and Rafael Waithe stood side by side. MG took a step back looking for escape routes, feeling it too soon to be around the human...or bird creature.

Landon hurried up and stepped forward. ''I'm sorry about today MG, I really am. I should have stopped when you and Raf told me to. I was projecting and- I know it will take time, but I want it to go back to how it was last month, rapping in our room with Kaleb.'' He chuckled.

MG weakly chuckled. ''I'm sorry too, I was, I mean I didn't-''

''I accept yours, you accept mine?'' Landon offered. The two did a hand shack type of truce and Landon went to go stand beside his girlfriend.

Raf surprisingly didn't go to MG, he went to Kaleb. ''I'm sorry.''

''Wrong person br-''

''Yea, I bit MG, but we wouldn't have even been in that situation if I was more focused on keeping my word to you. Even if you sort of balck-mailed me to do it.'' Raf chuckled at the fake innocent look Kaleb gave the room. ''You asked me to look after your boy, and I was too busy looking after mine. I should have put my foot down to stop all of this.''

Kaleb regarded the wolf in front of him. ''Don't sweat it, you tried, and that's all I honestly wanted for you to do. I would have vamped out if someone went after my boy too. It's cool.'' The two gave a guy hug and Raf then went to do the same to MG.

Lizzie clapped her hands getting everyone's attention. ''Great now, maybe Emma can take this Breakfast Club night meeting and dock a couple therapy sessions off for us-''

''Nope.'' The counselor said.

''No? okay.'' Lizzie shrugged, like it was no big deal.

''Nice try.''

''I tried.''

''You tried it.''

''Well.'' Lizzie shrugged, swinging her arms around. Everyone laughed at the exchanged.

''While I am extremely proud of you and the support you all have shown here tonight, you all still are expected to come to your next sessions.'' Emma addressed the students.

A round of 'yes Emma's' and 'Yes ma'ams' rang around the hall.

''Not bad Saltzman, not bad at all.'' Penelope reluctantly commented when MG and Emma stepped to the side to talk.

''Was what you said true or did you just say-'' Hope asked.

''It was true, some timelines and tiny facts were skipped over. Our grandparents were divorced, grandma was the town Sherriff, Mom obviously didn't go into brutal detail about the torturing and bloody stuff, and the reason for her transition was much more complicated, but for the most part, true on all accounts.''

''Who was the friend she helped?'' Hope continued questioning. Thirsty for knowledge of not only Caroline's past in this town, which was also a part of her fathers, both which she was surprised she hadn't heard about or investigated herself.

''Oh, them, so sorry Hope, but you are only the second-generation Super Squad of Mystic Falls.'' Hope looked confused and amused by this information. ''The first included my mom, the baby vampire, the Salvatore brothers themselves. Stefan, the Ripper, Damon, the...honestly, he was just a dick/occasional friend to everyone, Elena Salvatore, previously Gilbert, the doppelganger, later vampire, Jeremy Gilbert, hunter, Tyler Lockwood, wolf, Matt Donavan, yes, the Sherriff, but back then he was just a human, and Bonnie, the Bennett Witch.''

''Wait your Aunt Bonine?'' Hope asked, remembering the witch's occasional visits to Caroline and the twins and seeing her with the Salvatore's when she was little.

''One and the same.'' Lizzie answered.

''Jeremy Gilbert. He came looking for me and Landon when we ran. He said he does the odd jobs here and there for your Dad.''

''That's him.'' Josie spoke up

''Your Mom was all friends with them, even the human?'' Kalen asked, double checking.

''Well, back then Mom didn't know the universal law that there was bad blood between the species, and when she found out, she didn't care and even thought it was stupid. All she knew was that she had these friends that she knew from kindergarten. That's all she cared about. Bonnie was still Bonine, who just happened to have magical powers, The Sheriff managed to stay human and loyal through all the supernatural crap happening to his friends around him, and was always there to help, and Tyler was still Tyler, who just happens to howl at the moon once a month. She even stayed with him and helped with his transitions the first few months. He was the only wolf here, and she wanted to support him''

''That was dangerous.'' Rafael said. Though impressed that thier Mom stayed, not just once, but multiple times to help a baby wolf on the full moon.

''Don't get any ideas Hobbit, this one night with you was enough. My mom was a vampire then, worse comes to worse, she could run and just jump a tree. Plus, you're a slow runner.'' Lizzie pointed her finger at Landon, already guessing what he was thinking about.

Raf and the others laughed. ''You are slow man.'' Landon stuck up for himself, laughing with the others, and Lizzie turned to Hope, who started speaking to her.

''It all makes since with what you told me earlier, and why the school is big on inclusion.'' Hope stated. ''Well, I have to reluctantly agree with Penelope, you did good, and you behaved like a Forbes tonight. Your Mom would be proud.'' Hope said with a soft smile at the end.

Lizzie gave one back, touched. ''Thanks.''

That was the best compliment she could receive. She wanted to be like her Mom, but Lizzie felt she always fell short. Especially still feeling the blow from her Dad's comments tonight. She was proud to be a Saltzman. Her dad was being annoying, but he was still her dad. But she wouldn't lie and say she wasn't happy about being recognized as a Forbes for once.

_Like a band-aid Lizzie, you guys called a truce, can't help the inevitable. _Lizzie told herself.

''I told my dad that your dad was alive.'' Lizzie blurted out

Expecting a big blowout and talks of betrayal and big mouths, Lizzie was confused when all Hope did was raise her eyebrows and smirk at her. Realization dawned on Lizzie.

''You heard.'' She stated.

''You guys weren't exactly quiet.'' She shrugged. ''Don't worry about, he was going to find out sooner or later. All my fake trips to New Orleans and then me hiding in the house in Mystic Falls all day were driving me crazy.''

Catching her last words and remembering the events of this morning. _Wow, that seems so far away_, the tribrid thought. Hope turned to Lizzie.

''Uhm, we're still okay, aren't we? I meant what I said in the car and earlier outside my room. I-''

''Have nothing to be sorry for.'' Lizzie interrupted. ''We are okay, I do believe you. It was just that, that whole week was crazy and to then come back and have it all over campus.'' Lizzie trailed off. ''I'm the one-''

''Nothing to be sorry for.'' Hope interjected. ''So, no more quips, no more arguments, I don't expect to start having sleepovers anytime soon, but at least we can be done with the hostility?'' Hope asked nervously.

Friendship before Raf, which was honestly solely in thanks to her boyfriend, didn't come easy to Hope, especially since she's been avoiding it for almost a decade. But she was determined to try. The twins, who she has known since childhood, seemed like a good place to start.

''Yes, to the quips, yes, to the arguments and hostility...a maybe to the sleepovers. Josie always clocks out on me way to early.'' Lizzie said with a smile.

''I can definitely work with that.'' Hope smiled. ''I'll even host the first one. You know your Dad is going to have a problem with you over at my house with my family.''

Lizzie smirked. ''Don't worry, there will be no argument he can make'', she turned and made eyebrows at Hope, ''your Dad will most likely be hosting my mother as well.''

Both girls looked at each other and burst into laughter. ''Ewwww!''

Klaus chuckled at the cheeky thing Caroline's daughter was, but had to smiled at their daughter's interaction. For all of Lizzie's faults, she was more like her mother than she knew. And while Josie may not look like them, she got that compassion and putting others first from both sides of her mothers. While changes would be made to the school, he had no doubt about, the real picture that they were reaching for, came through. This has to be the most peaceful meeting of the species he has ever attended. From children no less! All factions coming to support one another and listen and truly sympathize with each other, and not for any gain or motive, but because they have grown up together. _They cared. _He didn't know how he felt about his daughter being a part of the next 'Scooby-Doo Gang', but he had a feeling this one would prove to be better than the last ones.

Looking behind him to see the sweet emotional face of his Caroline, the Bennett witch, another Witch/Vampire? and he thinks Mr. Williams, who he thought left this establishment behind, were all standing at the top of the steps, looking at the scene. Klaus smiles. Yes, the Salvatore School will definitely be going through some changes.


	2. Seperate Rooms, Seperate Lives

''Did you blame us for keeping her from you at one point in time in our life?'' Lizzie asked bluntly not considering the effect it would have on the unsuspecting hybrid across from her.

Klaus had been back to life for almost a year now. Getting into the rhythm of things with his new reality split between New Orleans and Mystic falls, as well as his daughter, and in addition, Caroline's.

They were who they were, and thinking that Caroline and Klaus could somehow abstain from one another and not be together or around each other was wishful thinking on others. They held out for a lot longer than many thoughts. It was mostly Caroline's doing to make sure he was sure about getting involved with her, and subsequently her twins, and also wanting him to get his bearings together with single fatherhood.

_Of three girls_

It was a transition to get into everyday life with Hope and himself, without his siblings or Haley there to lend a hand. Especially, since after a very awkward meeting with Hope, who was glancing between her father and head mistress with so many questions in her eyes, Caroline, trying to make Hope feel comfortable about the new romance starting up between her father and headmistress, Alaric, disapproving of the set and glaring daggers at the original whilst taking shots at his parenting, and Klaus transitioning between studying Caroline (his favorite past time), glaring at Alaric and giving digs of his own, as well as exchanging reassuring smiles with Hope, letting his littlest wolf know he wasn't going to rip the heart out of her headmaster, they reached an agreement about her living arrangements.

With everything going on, they, or more so Klaus, thought it best that Hope stay at the Mystic Falls mansion with Klaus and commute to school. Most of Klaus' interactions with his daughter were with her as a baby and only scattered weeks through her childhood and teenage years after that. They had a lot to get to know about each other, and not in the supernatural sense, but just generally being in each other's presence every day and going about day to day routines.

Klaus and Hope were adjusting well, and Hope was so excited that her father was here to stay and was setting down roots for her. Yes, he went to New Orleans to deal with things and most times on the weekend Hope went with him, but often times than not, Vincent and Freya had a handle on things, and if not, Marcel could always be there for back-up. That part was easy. Himself and Caroline, that was easy and perfect, like only his lovely could be, the part that started to get difficult was honestly coming from outside sources.

Klaus always knew that Caroline wasn't just Caroline anymore, it was Caroline and her twins, they were a unit, a package deal. That never bothered him, though if he were being honest, it probably was because while the thought of him and Caroline was always something he hoped for in the future, he figured it would be far into the future.

The twins already grown up with their own lives. Sure, they would meet him, grown in their 30's, maybe have a couple of little ones on their hip, but it was just the standard 'meeting moms' boyfriend' routine. They would've been adults, and while he would make sure they were safe, no nasty supernatural business coming their way, Klaus wouldn't necessarily have to take care of them. Not like if things went down differently when Caroline brought them to New Orleans when they were 3. So, Klaus wouldn't have so much responsibility over them, he wouldn't be raising them, or having a hand in their lives.

Or so he thought.

No, the twins were 16, and while liked to be treated as adults, they were still children, and as their stepfather respectively in future terms, it was his job to _help _take care of them. He was nervous in the beginning. Klaus didn't hate children, but he never wanted them around, except for his own, which was obviously understandable. But these were Caroline's kids, _his Caroline_, there was no doubt in his mind that he would love them, he loved their mother. Would he like them? That was to be seen around the time of their first meeting...third if you count the phone call with their mother and Lizzie crying, and the Hollow business they went through 3 years prior.

The problems came from the outside sources, the biggest one being Alaric Saltzman, who didn't want his daughters, or mother of his children in the company of _the Great Evil_, Niklaus Mikaelson. While Caroline laid down the law early on about Alaric having no say in her private life, separate from the girls, he did however have a say in his daughters, a card that he waved around to prolong the inevitable in Klaus' case. Some habits die hard, and Klaus' want for Caroline to be happy was one of them. He knew that Caroline wouldn't be happy with less time spent with her daughters, so it was Klaus' first mission that the twins would always feel welcomed and safe with him. A valiant effort Klaus believed on his part.

Saltzman obviously didn't think so.

There was yelling, a few low jabs, and all-around annoyance in the following weeks of that discussion. Alaric didn't trust Klaus around any of his girls, but while he didn't have a say with Caroline, he certainly had a say with the twins. Caroline knew that the twins would be safe with Klaus, Alaric even knew that, he was just holding on to grudges, well-deserved, and the belief that this was step one in Klaus Mikaelson taking his family away from him. First Caroline, a part of him never really got over the fact that while she turned down his proposal, the father of her children, a good man; she wholeheartedly jumped into a relationship with a man who has been sporadic in her life since her teens and in general is not a good man. It was a blow. One, that Alaric let go, but came out on occasions.

So, for now, the twins weren't allowed around Klaus, which you would think would make Alaric happy, but caused a whole slew of other arguments and problems. HIs favorite student and 'daughter', as the twins dubbed her, was being cold and distant, showing loyalty to her father, that Alaric was treating like the next coming of Satan. Hope and the twins weren't BFF's and were wrapping their heads around being sisters one day, they were still getting used to their parents being together, but they didn't wish ill harm to each other anymore, and could sit and talk or bicker for hours if you let them. They were getting there, and one could easily see that while slow, the three could easily form an unbreakable bond that could rival the first generation Mikaelsons.

For the most part they wanted their parents to be happy and no one could say that the happiest they have ever seen them, besides the births of their daughters, wasn't when they were with each other. If for no other reason, the three girls would bury the hatchet for the couple that has been over a decade in the making.

With that sentiment in mind, Hope took Alaric's refusal to let the twins be a part of dinners with her father and Carline as well as his biting remarks and borderline withholding of the twins from their mother as pathetic and immature.

From the stories she's heard from both her father, Caroline, and relatives, it was common knowledge that Caroline and Klaus would always end up together, they were just waiting on the right time. They were inevitable. Dr. Saltzman knew that. So why was he fighting this hard over something written before Caroline even meant something to him, besides his pseudo daughters' blonde best friend? In true Mikaelson style, she let him know too.

**XxXxX**

''_Hope, you didn't come for training today?'' Alaric asked, wondering where his student had been for the past hour, he was waiting for her at the docks_

''_I trained with my dad and the twins earlier. No need.'' Hope said nonchalantly, not taking her eyes off her history book._

''_Oh, well that's-, wait WHAT!''_

''_Oh right, nope, my bad, I meant just my dad, seeing as how you won't let the twins be a part of training. Training that could help them in the future. Training that you don't give them.'' Hope said condescendingly._

''_And were back to this.'' Alaric said with an eyeroll. Hope hasn't been hiding her dislike of the arrangement and hasn't been holding back her snark at Alaric when it comes to her father's reappearance._

''_Hope. It's my family, my daughters, and I can decide what's best for them. No offense to you, but your Dad isn't the best role model I want around them. Not even to you! Look at how your acting!'' _

_Hope's eyes flared at the blatant disrespect to her father. Honestly, Alaric didn't see Klaus as a part of Hope, only when she was in trouble and displaying her dark side, did he bring the hybrid up, using him as reasoning and justification for her actions. Alaric ignored everything Mikaelson about her, and just stuck to the Hope Marshall persona, she had to use when she first started school. Making himself and maybe a little herself, believe she was only a Marshall, a product of her mother, the good side in his opinion, and no one else._

''_First of all, Alaric, my Dad is a great father. Maybe not brother, or friend, or leader in your opinion, but he is a great father, and unless you want me to wolf out, you need to find someone else to sit and listen to her belittling's of him, you know, someone bedsides his DAUGHTETER.'' She said putting emphasis on the last word._

''_He is an amazing father, to me, and to your daughters. Just because they're not allowed to be around him, doesn't mean he doesn't talk to them on the phone, or get them presents when he gets me something. That makes him earn a few good Dad points in my book, because a father would always try to be there for their kid, no matter the obstacle. Even with you throwing digs at him, he still manages to have a better relationship with the twins than you.''_

''_Too far Hope! And you don't know what you're talking about. The twins have stayed away, and if Caroline wants to ruin her life and put her future in jeopardy over a high school crush then go ahead, but she's not taking my children down with her.''_

''_Down where! How would you know?! Your busy chasing me down or with the other dozens of students. Side note, by the way'', Hope said with the jerk of her head and a side eye, ''lovely way to write off the mother of your kids. The only reason their even yours and with you to begin with.'' Hope said with a disappointing sneer at her headmaster, that to his credit, did have the decency to look ashamed and guilty at his words. ''You don't see that Lizzie is calmer or that Josie and her are spending less and less time together, or that they each absolutely dominated P.E. Fighting and Track Course Simulation for the witches?''_

''_What are they doing following you out on that defense training tournament! Josie and Lizzie aren't trained for that. I didn't teach them that-''_

''_I know.'' Hope spat. ''My dad sent over a trusted hybrid to train them. He couldn't do it, but you weren't doing it, and he wasn't going to let his daughters be defenseless.''_

''_They're not his daughters!''_

''_They are just as much his as yours! Everything he's doing is for them, is your job to do! You're not doing it, so he is! He found a way to be a part of their lives, even with your discouragements.''_

''_Because of Caroline!''_

''_Because he loves her!'' Hope shook her head at Alaric in disbelief that he couldn't see that. ''Everything he has done has been for her and me and now the twins.'' _

_Alaric remained impassive. ''So, I take it you don't need to train with me anymore?''_

_Hope scoffed. ''You know Dr. Saltzman, all those traits you find admirable in me and the tasks I was up for through my years here, that isn't because I am 'one of a kind' tribrid and its easier for me.'' She said making the air quotes. ''It's because of training and the determination and will to accomplish everything that makes me the person you go to for the job.''_

_Alaric nodded slowly. ''I know that.''_

''_Good. Then remember I get those traits from my Dad too, and not just my Mom. My thousand-year-old plus father who couldn't have made it this far without those traits. The traits he is willing and eager to show Lizzie and Josie, nurture what's already there and-.''_

''_That's my job.'' Alaric enunciated slowly, exasperated._

''_That you have no time for.'' Hope raised her eyebrows with a shrugged her shoulders and a wide spread of her arms. ''So, my dad is picking up the slack. I don't understand where this is coming from. Why would a parent knock having more people that love their kids? That's all my dad is. Another person that loves and wants to protect them. If you feel threatened by that, then that's your subconscious telling you, you weren't doing a good job in the first place.'' Hope added the hurtful commit softy with fire in her eyes at the human._

_He had heard though. She didn't hide it that well. Alaric's whole body tensed, insecurities coming to the surface of the harsh reality the 17 just gave him. _

''_Me? What about you? I don't see you spending time with your new step mother''. Alaric spat. ''Just another person to love you right? In no way shape or form is trying to upstage or take anyone else's job.''_

_The room was silent for a moment. Not because of Alaric harsh words, but the root of them. He meant them to sting. To take a shot at the parallels between himself and Caroline's position in the Mikaelson home, and the twins and Hope's parallels of parents and step parents. A jab for a jab._

_Though it wasn't the same._

''_She's not. She's been the same thing to me when my mom was here, and now that she's gone, that hasn't changed. When I need her, she's here or I know where to find her. My mother was in and out, trying to balance me and New Orleans. Who do you think I went to when I needed to talk, my aunts aren't exactly right around the corner?'' Hope explained calmly._

_She wasn't lying to make a point either. Caroline never tried to be her mother. Maybe it was because she had her own daughters, or she wasn't trying to overthrow Haley's words or position, but she's been who she's been since she knocked on the Boarding School's door for the first time. When Haley introduced a pretty woman with blue eyes and curly blond mermaid hair to the intrigued seven-year-old. _

''_This is an old friend of your dads.'' Haley had said._

_While Hope would have been suspicious of that phrase, considering she was well aware her dad didn't play well with others, so having a legitimate friend seems out there. She couldn't see any false lies in the warm eyes and smile Caroline gave her, or in the little tidbits of information she gave the girl missing her father over the years. Some things her mother or relatives didn't even know. _

_Caroline was her dads' friend and she missed him as much as the child did._

''_Caroline was dads' friend, and through the years she became mine, and even an aunt. Now she's just an aunt with a title...eventually. She was then, and still is to me, the most constant woman I have had in my life. Most likely will remain so. She isn't trying to take my mother's place, no one can. But I'm mature enough to know that her being with my dad and in my life, isn't threatening me or making me feel like I'm missing something, if anything I'm gaining more.'' Hope said, stressing the mature part, and emphasizing who she thought was the immature one in this scenario. _

''_But nice try with the jab, a little low, considering I'm your student and you're the Head Master trying to use your students' dead mother to make a point.'' Hope said calmly. _

_Alaric huffed and signed shaking his head to the side, knowing he messed up. ''Hope, -''_

''_I gotta go.'' She said grabbing her text book and leaving the main hall. _

''_Wait I need to- ''_

''_Actually, what you need to do, is follow me to the office so we can speak.'' A voice sounding at the entrance of the door._

_Alaric and Hope turned to see Caroline looking scarily calm, but understandable hostile at the same time. _

_Hope couldn't help but give out the classic Mikaelsons smirk a little at her Headmaster. _

_He was gonna get it._

''_I'll see you at dinner.'' Hope said passing Caroline on her way up._

**XxXxXxXX**

The talk that followed was a repeat of the past fights, adding in the fact that Caroline greatly disapproved of Alaric's bad-mouthing Klaus in front of his own daughter, as well as Alaric's indignation over the fact that Klaus Mikaelson, still had contact with his daughters, despite his ruling. Which led to the surprise that Caroline herself knew about the calls, but didn't know how frequent they were or that he was giving out gifts. She didn't see the problem seeing as they both gave Hope birthday and Christmas presents since they've known her.

The fight also brought out the fact that Alaric didn't know anything going on in the twin's life. Thinking back, yes, the twins were less to be found around each other, Lizzie was much more pleasant, and was talking to Hope more, but he honestly thought that that was in result to another of her 'zap the mean out of me' branchlets and maybe a group project was going on, so the twins weren't around each other for that, seeing as they discouraged sibling team assignments. He never thought it was because of Klaus.

**XxXxXxXxX**

''_Well that shows how much attention you've been paying to your actual offspring's.'' Lizzie remarked dryly. _

_The twins came in a little bit after Hope left the two to chat. Passing their almost step sister in the hall, they didn't even have to exchange words, just gave each other a look, and could tell by the exasperation and exhaustion of her posture, they knew another argument ensued. However, this time it looked like it took a bit too much out of the reddish brunette. Which led the twins to hunt down their parents and Caroline leaving the three to discuss their behavior recently._

''_Girls I am trying-''_

''_We know.'' Josie said giving Lizzie a stern look to drop it. ''That's all we want you to keep doing.'' Alaric smiled at Jo and her ability to diffuse an argument and give reassurance at the same time, with the same bright outlook on life as both her mothers have._

''_I just want you to keep trying, but also be aware that Klaus is trying too. Not because he wants to jab at you or try to steal us, but because he loves mom. We want her to be happy right? She deserves it.'' Josie continued._

_Alaric look shocked at the mild accusation. ''Of course, she does. We always root for mom.''_

''_Good. So why can't you do it now?'' Lizzie interjected. Not hostile, but tired of the ongoing arguments of the past few weeks._

_Alaric stuttered and just gave the girls a blank stare, while they waited for his answer back. He was saved from answering when a student stopped in and said Mr. Williams needed him ASAP to break up a wolf/vamp fight in the hallway._

''_We'll continue this later.'' Alaric said, walking out._

_Josie looked dejected on her bed, while Lizzie just looked mad. As were the twins usual default setting when upset. _

_Lizzie scoffed angry and packed her bookbag up with homework, sleeping clothes, and her new phone and messenger bag. ''Don't bother.'' She said passing Alaric on her way out. The students parted like the red sea not wanting to incur the wrath of the blonde Saltzman twin when she looked to be on a warpath._

_Figuring she was going to her mothers, since as far as RIk knew, that was the only other home the twins had besides the school, Alaric allowed himself off the hook to go settle things with the students._

_Lizzie gone and Josie left by herself and remembering that there wasn't a Penelope to just drop by and talk to her, or bicker with left the brunette twin's mood worse than when her father left._

_Walking out into the hallway she asked the first student she saw._

_Hey, have you seen Hope?_

**XxXxXxXxX**

Like he said. Outside sources. But he wouldn't be Klaus Mikaelson if he didn't always get what he wanted.

And Lizzie, wouldn't be Lizzie if she followed every command that was given to her.

Lizzie wasn't scared of Klaus Mikaelson. Neither was Josie, but the darker haired twin was afraid of disappointing her father, so she followed the rules.

Lizzie however thought the rule was stupid and her dad was jealous and envious of the love between the hybrid and Hope, now Caroline, as well that his 'favorite' daughter and student was back attached to her father instead of him.

Lizzie read the history book. Klaus Mikaelson: The Great Evil. She read it, she took the test over it, she did not however pay any actual mind to it. While her father wrote it and obviously believed in his own words a great deal. Lizzie was her mother's daughter, and she believed Caroline's words, above all else. Caroline painted a different picture of the hybrid. Sure, still evil, but with the distinction that the evil was in the act, and not the person. While that sentiment didn't apply to everyone, it did apply to Klaus according to their mother. Yes, everything in the history books was true, but the parts that weren't mentioned were the reasoning's behind the actions, exactly how evil patriarchal Mikael Mikaelson really was, the artist, the man, and later father, the love Klaus had for his family, if not too much that got them all daggered, and the loneliness and pain one man had to carry for over a thousand years.

That's the history of him she absorbed.

Which is why she didn't follow he fathers' orders.

It wasn't just because of Klaus either. Her mother was in a relationship and very happy. Not that she wasn't happy before, or at least content with life, but this was another thing. She was beaming, happy, and every time Klaus walks into the room, the smile that her mother gave could be blinding. While gross at times the three girls couldn't help but giggle at the love-struck duo.

Caroline was usually always with Klaus. Yes, the teachers at the school had their own wing of the school to sleep in, complete with a tiny kitchenette and bathroom, but Caroline herself, who unlike Alaric, made time to have a life outside of the school, didn't stay there all the time. Caroline had a house on the edge of Mystic Falls. It was a 15-minute drive to reach the actual center of the town. It wasn't small, but it wasn't big. With 5 bedrooms, an office, kitchen, 4 baths, porch, and a huge backyard, overlooking an expanse of land, and further down the Falls landmark. It was beautiful. Caught between a small scale colonial southern house and a bohemian bungalow, it was the perfect mix of adult Caroline and teenager Caroline, that sometimes reared her head, trying to get back the 20's she never got, and hanging out with their aunt Bonnie and other friends she's made.

Lizzie always went away to her mother's home, when she got the chance. When Josie was too much, or her dad was not enough, her mother was always there. Her safe haven.

When Klaus came in the picture. Her safe haven, went to her own safe haven, in the arms of the hybrid, spending the night in his mansion in Mystic Falls.

Children aren't supposed to pick favorites in the family. Favorite sibling, parent, aunt, uncle, or cousin, picking favorites was hurtful and disrespectful which is why Josie always makes sure their parents know they love them equally.

Well, Lizzie didn't have the growth Josie does. Caroline was her favorite, and she thinks her dad knows. Which is why he never makes a big deal of Lizzie runs off with Caroline, but gets suffocating and worried when Josie does the same thing. They had their favorites. And Lizzie was a mama's girl.

It was hurtful, but it was just the way the cookie crumbles in the Saltzman home.

Which is why she wasn't going to let a few pointless rules keep her away from spending time with her mother. Because that was what this arrangement was doing. Caroline was usually always with Klaus in spare time and Lizzie couldn't be with her to talk, so phone calls and texts have been the communication, and she hates it. That wasn't enough. Sometimes she just needs to be in her mother's arms.

I mean. Technically, her father said, he didn't want to _see_ her or Josie around Klaus Mikaelsosn.

His wish, was her command.

It started not long after her mother and Klaus made it official. Lizzie would stop by the mansion and just hang out. Klaus was confused then apprehensive at first, but eventually, like her mother with him, Lizzie got her way in the end. Klaus couldn't fault the girl for thinking of a loophole. Technically the human isn't seeing Lizzie hang out with Klaus and Hope. Even though that's what she's been spending her weekends doing.

The visits were one thing and the phone calls, came out of nowhere, but were welcomed by the hybrid nonetheless. Josie quickly figuring out what her twin was up to, while didn't think the loophole would stand in court, thought phone calls were a better one. Soon after Josie was joining in the calls. Not as frequent as Lizzie, but she could say that she didn't mind the hybrids presence in their lives. If anything, like with Hope said with Caroline, Klaus was making theirs better. A thousand years, taught him a lot. And he was more than willing to pass the knowledge on to the twins.

They both learned to adore one another. Klaus could honestly say it was going well. That he loved the twins, and even Lizzie herself has said the standard teenager 'bye, love you'', to him when leaving his company, too fast for him to get over his shock at first but afterwards, quick enough that his little love heard his 'love you too' back. He and the twins have made leaps, as have himself and Caroline, and Hope and Caroline. Klaus finally had his own little family, separate from his siblings, and in-laws. One that was only his. His four beautiful girls. Three powerful witch daughters who he loved but felt it was the universe way of striking him down with his own karma for how he treated past dalliances and women.

Lizzie came to the door one day while the hybrid was painting, and just made herself at home. Klaus couldn't help but smile at the memory. It always surprised him how much Lizzie was like Caroline and seeing the nature nurture argument in the twin's behavior and disposition. Klaus didn't want to get Lizzie in trouble with Alaric, but he also recognized he couldn't keep Lizzie away from Caroline because he wanted his love all to himself. He chuckled at Lizzie's loophole.

''_Dad technically said, he didn't want to see us with you. Well, he can't see me now. I'm hungry, you hungry?'' Lizzie said casually._

Since then they'd been doing quite well. Secrets and jealous fathers aside. Which is why Lizzie's question felt like a kick to the throat. Painful and one he didn't see coming.

''Well... Did you blame us at one point in time in our life?''

''Why would I blame you for anything love?''

Lizzie shrugged, but he knew she had more to say. More than she was letting on.

''Lizzie,'' Klaus sighed and licked his lips, looking up at the ceiling. He had a feeling this conversation would turn out to be something deep. ''You know you can ask me anything right? No judgment, no ridicule, just me listening and being here.''

Lizzie gave the hybrid a small smile. ''I know you will. I feel like you and mom are the only ones that do.''

''Your father and Josie-''

''Want to, they try, but the concerned with underlay of judgmental tone make me even more upset than the pity.'' Lizzie huffed.

Klaus pressed his lips together. This was another subject the two spoke of. Lizzie being the damaged, broken twin, with Josie being the favorite and perfect one. _A Disney princess_, Lizzie dubbed her. Too nice for her own good.

Klaus could relate, and he always tried to be a safe place for Lizzie to vent to, someone that would understand more than her human father and rule-abiding sister. Klaus knew what it was like to feel like you weren't in control of your own mind, that it drove your actions sometimes, and at its worse, it was just easier to crash and let go, than to keep up the fight with the demons inside of you. He didn't want Lizzie's demons to take over, but he also didn't want her to battle them alone, as he had to. Klaus had taken to being Lizzie's go-to, the one she talked to, resonated with, and leaned on.

Caroline didn't mind. She loved that her girls and her wolf were bonding, and even more so that Lizzie seemed to be doing much better. That she found something...someone that can work with her and make her feel better.

Josie and Hope weren't jealous. The former filling in that role as best as she could through the years, but knowing it was short lived and she came up short sometimes. The latter, wanting to get along better with the twins, knew that her dad and them needed to spend time together, so it was normal. Plus, a part of her always felt bad about monopolizing their own father, Alaric's time. Especially, when in rare cases, the twins didn't hold back how genuinely hurt they were that his attention was rarely, if at all, on them.

Hope was always a bit envious that her father had many siblings he grew up with and got to spend thousands of years with, while it was just Hope and her Mom. Getting to have the twins and hopefully get to a place of real friendship and sisterhood, so all three could one day sit around a table and tell stories of three teenage witches going through puberty, boys, and supernatural drama at a School for the Young and Gifted. While smiling and laughing at memories with the hopes of more to come.

We won't even get into what Alaric would feel like, if he heard about the bonding.

''You met Mom when she was 17 and became friends when she was 18.'' Lizzie started again.

Klaus nodded slowly. Things didn't _exactly_ go that way, but as far as paraphrasing went. Sure, those were the early events of his love story with her mother.

''You had her. I mean-'', Lizzie looked up frustrated, then tried to focus, ''After her graduation and your promise and coming back. You and Mom could have started something. You wouldn't have had to be alone, neither of you, you would have started your story much earlier than 16 years later.'' Lizzie finished eyeing her pseudo step-father.

Klaus eyes dawned understanding and a bit of guilt. He knew where this was going.

''But we came. She could have gone to you. She was done with school, deciding to go back later, Grandma died. Stefan died later. There was nothing holding her here. Except us.''

''Lizzie that's not how it went down, your Mother and I-'', Klaus paused and back tracked. ''Where is this coming from love. Why would you think I blame you, or am mad about it?''

''You needed her, but we needed her more, she would have gone to you, or called, but she decided to take care of us. We took your love from you. Of course, you would blame us.''

''No. Just no.'' Klaus said sternly. ''Elizabeth, there were a slew of problems between your Mother and I before you were even a thought. I had Hope, we made promises, and she was young and still set to live a human life with the ones she grew up with.''

Lizzies snorted. ''Which all but 3 are dead. 1 travels and treats this town like it's a battle ground in hell.''

''Not far off-''

''The other is a prejudice dick head-''

''Watch your mouth young lady, but also true.''

''And for the hundredth time, it is so weird that she is still friends with them. I am so not going to Connecticut for a visit this holiday. I don't care if I blow the cover. I'm staying with you.'' Lizzie said exasperated getting more worked up with each word.

Klaus chuckled. It wasn't so much Caroline was still close friends with the now Salvatore newlyweds. Alaric was. His return sparked the history teacher to rant to the elder Salvatore about the big bad stealing his family away. Which prompted the most annoying doppelganger to call Caroline and talk sense into her head about what she thought she was doing and questioning her ability as a mother.

That resulted in his girls snatching said phone away and throwing a slew of insults and profanities at the doppelganger. Hope setting a stink spell off in their home for a week straight after seeing the hurt and upset look on Caroline's face, and himself taking delight in taking the doppelgangers messages from that point on and relaying that Caroline was busy and would call back at a later date.

Questioning her own ability to pick a life mate was one thing. Questioning and shooting down her ability to be a mother or mother-figure in Hopes case, was another entirely. She crossed a line.

And his love knew how to hold a grudge.

As did his little loves.

The teacher had been trying, unsuccessfully, to bridge the gap his complaining created. The twins weren't budging, and Caroline's glare could melt the sun itself.

Klaus couldn't have been prouder.

''Lizzie.'' Klaus starts, wanting to get the girls attention. ''Is that where this was coming from? Did the Salvatore's say something else about-''?

''About the fact that for all we know this is a trick and you setting us up with false security, when all you want to do is whisk Mom away and make her forget about us and the town. Plus, if you think about it, if the twins weren't here, Caroline would have run to the Big Bad's arms years ago.'' ''I believe that was his words. '' Lizzie said rolling her eyes.

Lizzie took a breath. ''I didn't think anything of it. But mom has two pictures of you too from her teenage years. At a ball and the Mystic Falls pageant. You guys looked perfect and so happy with each other. Laughing. You said even with Hope during some years with your family, you still felt alone and that eternity is a long time, and having someone with you was important to stay sane. We took that chance from you. Did we take that chance from you?'' Lizzie asked.

Klaus opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the classic Forbes ramble.

''I mean for all my faults, I like to think I'm somewhat self-aware, or at least working on it. I hurt a lot of people daily with my words, I know. I try to stay away from everyone when I get my...episodes. But if I don't hurt anyone in this world or try not to, its Mom, Dad, and Josie.''

Klaus nodded, knowing that and about how the prospect of not being able to calm herself quickly weighed on her, and the damage that could happen because of it.

''And now you.''

Klaus looked up wide eyed. ''What-''

''I don't want to hurt you. Its why I didn't come to lunch with Hope the other day. I was having a moment and I just wanted to rest after the after effects. I always hibernate to my room; I didn't want to take chances of being somewhere else or having you around and take that chance. It was easier. Eliminating myself from the equation, if it means keeping others safe.''

Klaus shook his head a bit. The similarities between himself and Lizzie always left him a bit disconcerted.

Klaus knew what she was talking about. Hope explained the twins were going through growing pains from their co-dependency and Lizzie had a freak out and trashed her room a bit. Hope not knowing what to do, called her father. Alaric busy, as always, and Caroline finishing up shipping her European belongings back here and wrapping up real estate, she went to the only guardian she and the twins shared. Lizzie calmed down, but opted to stay in, and Hope after notifying him, stayed with her, and the two shared a night of movies and bonding a bit.

''But hurting is more than physical and I may not know exactly, but I know at least emotionally, you would have had better years if Mom was by your side. Like she is now. It's how she is. No one can truly be unhappy with her around.'' Lizzie said with a small smile thinking of her mother. ''I'm sorry if I took that away from you. If we hurt you.''

Klaus' eyes softened while looking at the wide-eyed girl who was worried that he blamed her for something she wasn't even responsible for. Also, completely touched that she cared enough about him to make sure that he was okay and wanting to make amends, no matter how unnecessary they were to him. _All thanks to that no-good waste of space._ Klaus thought bitterly.

''Come here love.'' Klaus opened his arms and Lizzie got up and snuggled into the hybrids side on the couch.

''This is not your fault. Even if your mother was ready for me. I wouldn't have been. I always used to say your mother and I were alike, but now having you here, you may just be my own personal mini-me.'' Klaus chuckled.

Lizzie smiled. ''I take that as a compliment.''

Klaus smiled. For being known as the Great Evil in the student's history books the girls never made him feel as such. While he reveled in it as the Original Hybrid, as a father and step-father respectively, he didn't think he ever had any one be as proud of him as his girls were. Hope and Lizzie especially. He loved that they saw qualities in him that they admired and even wanted for themselves.

Klaus kissed the crown of Lizzies head. ''Thank you love. You said you would take yourself out of the equation to save others, and that is a rule I felt like I wrote myself. New Orleans was...is...a dangerous place. It prays on people's weaknesses, and while I would never say your mother's love made me weak, it was something that could be taken away, and I never want that. She was safe here, and her safety comes before anything I could ever want. I promised I would wait for her-,''

''Maybe in a year or a century.'' Lizzie murmured, well aware of her mom's love story with the hybrid. Klaus chuckled.

''It wasn't a year and I didn't have to wait a century. 16 years and now I have her, safe, with two new daughters, that I love so much.'' He lifted her chin to look at him, ''I have everything I could ever want. You kept your mother here, away from me.'' Lizzie averted her eyes. ''Safe.'' Klaus finished.

''You kept her safe. You needed a mother, and she needed to stay for you. By you keeping her here then, I got to find her later. Now I have her, and I'm not letting her go.''

''I don't blame you or your sister Lizzie. If anything, I thank you. Thank you for keeping my love safe and loved and cared for. We are happy, we do smile, I love her with everything that I am, but you two were here when I wasn't. You made her smile and laugh when I couldn't. You are the loves of her life.'' Klaus pulled her close again for a hug.

''Loves of my life.'' He whispered into her head.

''I found unconditional love with Hope, which was a guaranteed I had been told, but never truly believed. Now...being here with all three of you...it's...I hope-''

''It is. We do. Unconditionally.'' Lizzie murmured into his chest.

Klaus smiled softly. ''I was surprised with one daughter, and somewhere in this big world, a supreme force thought me great enough to bless me with two more. You two are not burdens. You as well as Josie and Hope are my world.''

''Never doubt that.''

''You swear?'' Whispered Lizzie.

''I swear it.'' Klaus whispered back.

''I love you Klaus.''

''I love you too, Elizabeth.''

Klaus pulled back and looked at his little blonde daughter. ''Feel better.''

Lizzie brushed her tears and fixed her hair. Giving that award-winning heart stopping Forbes smile. ''Much.'' She said genuinely.

A door opening and closing and footsteps heard, had the hybrid and his daughter turning their heads.

''E.B. you okay.'' Hope asked concerned. Lizzie was always put together and tears were not a part of her M.O. So, seeing them was cause for the worry.

During their prompt movie night, Hope found out that the blonde had a love for the classics and England. While she was named after her grandmother Elizabeth, she also loved that it was the first name of the Pride and Prejudice protagonist. A few of the other movies that the night was some of Jane Austen's greatest hits. Hope separated Lizzie's full name to Eliza Beth. A classic name that wasn't shared with her grandmother or the Bennett Sisters, neither is it the always used shortening of the name to Lizzie, was just shortened to E.B.

While Lizzie rolled her eyes at the nickname and Hope's teasing, she'd never admit how much she loved it. The sentiment of it touched her. An outsider wouldn't know where it came from, or the story behind it. E.B. could mean a host of other things, but for Hope and Lizzie, it marked a memory.

''Lizzie?'' Josie questioned beside Hope. She didn't join the lunches that much, but after the hateful words of Elena and Damon Salvatore, Josie wanted to be around people that loved and trusted their mother, instead of the tension filled dinners and barbs that was present at the dinner table with her father. Or the dinner with the other students that was impersonal and too loud for the witch to even hear her own thoughts. Seeing Lizzie visibly upset, obviously this was a good day to push forward and attend.

''Everything's fine. Just needed to get somethings off my chest.'' Lizzie said as the group got up to walk to the kitchen for lunch.

Hope sighed. ''Eliza Beth ignore what your uncle and aunt said.'' Hope said smirking at Lizzie's gagging of the title of the Salvatore couple. ''They're still living in 2012 with the dopplewhiner being the center of the universe. Caroline moved on. She's just mad that the ones that are left here, aren't following her command like she's used to. Your mom is okay now, a bit still pissed off, but not letting it weigh her down. Let go of that grudge.''

''Agreed.'' Josie nodded. ''Our grounding is officially over anyway, so let's not add weeks. Just feel happy about the jabs we got in while we could.'' Josie and the others chuckled.

Klaus sat and looked at his girls around the kitchen island. Thinking about the progress they have all made. Earlier in the year it was said about the twins that if anyone other than Lizzie took a shot at Josie, they'd end up with scabies. That sentiment rings true now as it did then, except now, Hope is involved. Josie and Hope can make the shots at Lizzie, but anyone else would regret ever being born. And the vise versa, etc., for the other two girls.

Honestly, it wasn't fast paced at all though. Just speeding up the inevitable. They would be sisters soon. Very soon. Looking at each of the girl's new custom made bookbags he got for them, each messenger bags with their first initial and last name, Klaus couldn't help but visualize different titles on the twins.

_E. Mikaelson & J. Mikaelson_

He knew they would never drop the Saltzman. Alaric was still and always their father, but still, having something with his family name on it and the girls carrying it, made his heart beat faster.

The twins and Hope were well on their way to the 'BFF' stage of their relationship. The funny thing is that watching them and hearing them talk to each other, it seems as though they skipped over that step all together and began working towards sisters. They may not always like each other, more so Lizzie and Hope, but over the last few weeks and dealing with monsters and just the regular teenage girl stuff, they at least were protective and defensive of each other. That was shown with the phone call between the dopplewhiner and his love, intersected, by his little loves.

The flabbergasted and fumbling doppelganger on the other end of the call were worth the 2 weeks, plus they overheard their father saying Elena spent a bit crying over not only the twin's words but Caroline's complete disregard to her warnings. Even pulling in the hostile sheriff into the mix.

The only remains of the once Scooby-Doo gang were the elder Salvatore, Elena and Jeremy Gilbert, Matt Donavan, the newest town Sheriff, how he managed to stay human, heaven knows, and Bonnie Bennett.

Obviously spending his teenage and early adult years in the supernatural world made Matt Donavan a tad bit uncentered. Ignoring the fact that his friends and people he called family were all supernatural, Donavan has adopted the mannerisms of the Founders Council from his youth. Obsessively hating the supernatural and killing them on sight. There was an understanding about the supernatural school, what little remains of familiar bonds he had with Caroline and Alaric, the pseudo guardian of the lot, that he would give heads up and give news to them when any suspicious supernatural business popped up. That however, didn't stop the threats and repeat warnings about what the little human Sheriff would do if he found out one of the school's students were responsible.

The bridge Matt Donavan stood on with his supernatural friends burned after the mutt's death and he was 'trying' to live the human life. With no Caroline, Alaric, and no Damon and Elena, now human, but still they held too many memories of what had passed. Jeremy was still doing favors for Alaric which made him excommunicated as well. Caroline actually didn't mind that much. She didn't take well to the threats and warnings. Taking her back to the time of her transition and early baby vampire years. Also, she herself, and a few others, were still living in the ghost that was the last sheriff of the town 16 odd years ago.

Time heals all wounds, but not enough time has passed for his love not to frown at least a bit when towns people talk about the Sheriff or seeing the familiar work blues. Picturing a blonde woman with short hair, blue eyes, and as fierce as the queen warriors of the past.

Elizabeth Forbes was not forgotten.

Bonnie Bennet traveled the world, as was her promise to her late lover. She sent cards and letters to Caroline and the twins, but visits back to the town where she had lost so much was rare. More visits to meet up or see her were frequent. Gone was the hold it once held, the magnetic bond it used to have with the resident supernatural, Caroline included.

Mystic Falls was now just the place they were all born, but it wasn't home. Never to be again, not after everything that's happened there.

Caroline and himself were even going back to New Orleans when the twins finished school. The conversation about applying for colleges hasn't arisen yet. Although they would love if the girls picked a school in New Orleans, instead of close to Mystic Falls. Klaus was protective of his little girls and he wanted them near. He was anticipating a fight about living at home with them, and them wanted independence and dorm life. A few bread crumbs about a:

Maid service.

A cook.

New cars.

And all would be well. Or he could get them a three-bedroom condo for just them. Nice. Spacious.

_Across the street from himself._

''Uh oh, he has the dad face on.'' Josie remarked, bringing him out of his stupor.

It seemed while in his day dream the girls decided to forgo the live-in cook and make lunch themselves. BLT's were in the process with Josie manning the stove, and Hope chopping up the L and T. Lizzie was getting sides of macaroni salad, tea, assortment of fruits, and lemon bars together.

''What look, pray tell, was I donning.'' Klaus asked amused.

''You know the Dad Face. Oh my gosh they're getting so big, what am I going to do.'' Josie mocked.

''I need to keep them safe and hold on forever.'' Lizzie added with a smirk.

''Maybe in a castle in Normandy or a tower in Spain?'' Hope added with wide eyes and a Cheshire like smile, showing how crazy that notion was.

The girls laughed at the expense of Klaus.

''Hardy har har''. Klaus smiled at their jesting.

Josie sighed. ''We love you, were gonna stay your little girls forever, who needs a prince when we have you.''

''Your great, your tough and strong, and protect us from the bumps in the night.'' Lizzie added tilting her head back and forth with her words, concentrating on cutting the vegetables.

''Always and Forever.'' Hope finished.

Klaus playfully huffed at the girls pouting. ''Well I see I'm not appreciated around here. I won't just sit here and be insulted by my-''

''Ohh for the-!''

''Stop!''

''We're kidding.''

All three girls exclaimed at once and left their post to give the hybrid a group hug, leaving kisses on both cheeks and his forehead.

The girls pulled away with a smile that was just as big as Klaus'. He loved his time with all three of them. It would have been better if Caroline was here as well, all his girls together, but he loved the single parent bonding time he got with them. Hope lived here, but he felt he was lacking on hours with the twins with them being in school and technically not even allowed to be around him.

Food done. The four decided to sit at the isle and eat and talk.

''So, tell me about the men and women in your life.'' Klaus spoke.

''Dad.'' Hope groaned

''Yes, that's my title, and a very reasonable topic that needs to be discussed with me. Wouldn't want any suitors' heads to be missing because I don't know who is spending all their time around my princesses.'' Klaus smiled amused at their disgruntled reaction.

He was just kidding around but also serious. He did not approve of them dating, but Caroline assured him it was normal, and there might even be a few, before they find the one. Klaus got sick to his stomach, he didn't even want them to have ones, let alone multiples.

''You should look at Hope, she's the only one with the boyfriend around here.''

Klaus lifted an eye brow at his eldest. ''Yes, the phoenix bird.'' He said.

''Landon Dad, and he really wants to meet you.'' Hope said trying to put Landon in a good light.

''Only because he knows Papa Klaus hates weaknesses and being scared to meet the father is strike one going in.'' Lizzie smirked, reveling in Hopes discomfort.

''Or maybe he just wants to meet the man that makes up half of the girl he loves and who Hope has always talked about since they met.'' Josie said sticking up for Hope.

Hope smiled at Josie, thankful for the back-up, while sticking her tongue at Lizzie.

''Whatever.'' Lizzie rolled her eyes.

Klaus rolled his as well. He was well aware that the boy wanted to meet him for Josie's reasons, and for that alone he begrudgingly had to give him credit, but that did not mean he was going to take it easy on him.

''If I smell him on you, even a whiff, Hope Andrea Mikaelson-''

''Eww Dad!'' Hope squirmed.

''I mean it. And don't go to Caroline, thinking she won't tell me either-''

''She wouldn't.'' Hope interjected smugly. Lizzie and Josie snickered into their tea.

Klaus closed his eyes reigning himself in. Because damn it.

The girl were right.

He wasn't stupid. He knew the girls had secrets with Caroline about well...girly stuff. Things he most likely would ransack an entire city for. He also knew he knew about a few. Thanks to hybrids, filling in the gaps, being in the know about the girls' lives, and his secret weapon of getting his love in just the right mood, hanging on just the right edge, that she would confess to every sin imaginable. Even the ones she didn't commit.

Klaus smirked. ''I bet I could get it out of her.'' He Cheshire grinned at the girls who expectantly broke out in disgust and ewws.

Klaus laughed while taking a bite of his delicious sandwich.

''Okay okay okay, subject change please!'' Josie gagged.

''No no, not so fast. I won't be the only one on trial here. Jo, E.B.?''

''Nursing a broken heart over here, so I'm out, and with my track record I will gladly live with you and Mom for as long as possible and join the group of 30-somethings living with their parents.'' Josie said falsely cheerful.

Three faces looked sympathetic to the youngest plight. Penelope Park left school, and not only triggered a dynamic change in the twins but also a broken heart in his little girl. Klaus rose to refill his tea and gave Josie a kiss on his crown. ''It'll be okay sweetheart.''

''There's other fish in the sea Jo.'' Hope consoled.

''I loved that fish.'' Josie mumbled into Klaus' side; whose arms were around her.

''A new crush will even you out sissy.'' Lizzie remarked digging into her fruit.

''You always say that.'' Josie said grabbing Klaus' glass of tea, and giving him her empty one with an impish smile, he couldn't help but obey with a small shake of his head playfully.

''I say it, because I'm right.'' Lizzie remarked.

''Because she's always right, isn't that right Josie.'' Hope remarked demurely.

''Why yes Hope, she is.'' Josie used her best southern belle voice. Taking her tea from Klaus, who sat back in his seat. ''Elizabeth always says the right things, and has the best advice.'' Propping her elbow on the table and bending her wrist forward, Josie continues. ''I don't know why no one listens to her all the time.''

''You two are a riot.'' Lizzie deadpanned.

''Isn't she just the bees nees.'' Hope asked mimicking the southern belle voice.

''They're here till to 5 ladies and gentleman.'' Klaus remarked into his tea.

''Oh!'' Josie and Hope high-fived, while Lizzie pouted in her seat at their teasing.

Klaus laughed at his girls' antics.

''Well I'll never help you two again.'' Lizzie huffed.

''Oh, come off it. You're the only one who doesn't need help. Dad loves MG.'' Hope rolled her eyes.

''MG is not my boyfriend. Past, present, or future.'' Lizzie sternly said.

Klaus smirked. He didn't _love_ MG. He didn't like anyone that had the potential to take his family from him. He supposes he _tolerates_ MG more than Larson or the Park girl that broke his little girls' heart. Though he did have to give props to her antics in the school. Teenage girls are certainty a force to be reckoned with, that get more dangerous with every generation.

What he tolerated about MG was his tenacious manner in perusing Lizzie. Which if he was honest reminded him of Caroline and himself when he was first perusing her. Word gets around and the gist of the situation was that Milton Greasley fell hard for the vivacious blonde the day they met, at 15. The problem or entertainment, depending on what side you're on, was that the love was one-sided. MG could be seen doing every sweet, brave, and big action he could think of to get Lizzie's attention, and 1 time out of 10, he did receive it, for a little bit. But 9 times out of that 10, Lizzie, like her mother, had a sharp tongue and put it to use shooting down the young vampire.

Klaus admired that while he was sure Lizzie's words stung him. He never let it deter him. Or move on. Yes, he knew he was still a horny arsed teenager with vampire heightened senses, so anyone could easily see him with a townie, but even the townies themselves knew that MG's heart was being held by a blonde witch that ruled the school down the road.

He couldn't imagine his girls with anyone, but a quality that would make them less likely to die would be thier endurance, their lasting quality. Could they last being in this family, did they love and respect his daughters? Would they be there during the good and bad?

MG fit all of those. He didn't have rose-colored glasses on for his girls. He knew their faults. He just loved them in spite of them. MG has seen Lizzie at her worst, best, sprouting insults his way, and even complimenting him once or twice, and he's still here. He takes everything that Lizzie throws at him, and even when she isn't the best to him, he doesn't let anyone else disrespect or hurt her for it. Lizzie overlooked MG in terms of a boyfriend. But he had hope that if anyone was getting the son-in-law title, it would be the vampire.

Down the road.

A _long, long, long_ way down the road.

''You never know.'' Klaus smiled innocently at Lizzie.

''He's too nice anyway. To good. I'd ruin that. Bring him to the dark side and whatever jazz people mumble about.'' Lizzie rolled her eyes, a bit ejected at her words.

Klaus frowned at her words, but didn't sound surprised by them. Lizzie and him had the same mindset about these things, while Hope and Josie chose the direct approach.

He knows Lizzie though. He knows, and has seen firsthand, that she has no problems being cold now, to save someone later on.

While he's sure that some of her words to the Greasley boy were genuine jabs and hurtful remarks, because that's how she felt, he also knew a good chunk of the more malicious ones, where to put up a guard and distance between the two, thinking that he had to give up eventually. Going on two years, and the boy still didn't take the hint.

_Good boy._

''Or maybe he'll melt the ice princess's heart a bit and you will be the most epic couple in the books.'' Hope reassured softly, sensing Lizzies attitude about being known as the 'broken twin'.

''You don't know that for sure.'' Lizzie shook her head.

''Neither do you.'' Josie interjected, grabbing her sisters' hand. 'And I'm not just saying that because you're my sister and he's my best friend. You two would be great. And you could run the defense on Klaus and Hope and Landon when she invites him to dinner.'' Josie teased.

Lizzie chuckled softly.

A nervous knock sounded at the front door and two stuttering heartbeats could be heard.

''Or lunch.'' Hope interjected softly.

Klaus swung his head fast to look at Hopes innocent face. ''Seconds anyone? With Landon and MG.'' Hope said high-pitched nervous.

''Oh my god'', Josie looked at the tribrid wide eyed. ''You didn't.'' She stated with an amused open smile.

''I did!'' Hope shrieked and they both ran to the front door.

Klaus was a bit discombobulated. Switching back and forth to go intimidate the boys or address his deprecating daughter.

''Lizzie-''

''Forget it.'' Lizzie shook her head about to head to the door. Klaus gently grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

''Never.'' He said softly. ''I understand what it's like to think people are better without you in their life. I myself am not an easy person, if you can imagine.'' He joked pulling a smile from her. ''I have learned that while that is true for some, if not most, it isn't about the people your trying to save, but the ones who don't need it. That don't see anything wrong with you. Even if that's all you see on most days. Sometimes it's just about finding the right ones. Our diamonds in the rough.''

''Like you and mom.''

''Yes. She's my diamond, ruby, sapphire, and everything in between.'' Klaus said with the smile that always came over him when thinking about his love.

''And yours, maybe standing right in front of you. But you won't know if your too scared to find out. Now out of all the traits those weak, stupid townies have given you, that I will cut off their tongues for,'' they each gave a sly smirk at each other, ''not being brave was never one of them. ''

''You told me that you wanted someone that looked at you how I looked at your mother.'' He led the blonde into the foyer to great the guest. ''I see that look right now. Do you?''

Lizzie looked up at Klaus and gave him a smile. He smiled back and winked and then proceeded to go to the nervous phoenix standing way to close to his daughter for his liking. He stopped a few steps in and turned back.

''That's why I 'love' him the most, fyi.'' Klaus said using air quotes like her mother with a roll of his eyes, but still with true meaning behind them. Lizzie laughed at his antics.

Everyone was a background noise to MG as he stared at the laughing blonde walking in with her step- father. She had on tan shorts, with white converses with the blue and red stripes. A white button-down collared shirt with a light pink sweater on top. Her long blonde hair was curled to perfection and floating done to the middle of her back.

He stepped forward, and for the first time, she didn't step back.

''Hey Lizzie.'' MG said smiling cautiously.

With a quick look to the four faces looking at the scene, and a few second stare off with the reassuring eyes of Klaus. Lizzie looked back to MG.

''Hey MG.''

Lizzie always aspired to be like her mother, so she followed her lead. Forget about Rafael or Romeo and Juliet and Bonnie and Clyde.

She wanted to find the Klaus to her Caroline.

Seeing the look MG was giving her. Not lustful or dopey, but devotion and happiness, in awe of a broken siphoner Gemini Witch, the same look she's seen Klaus give her mother every time he sees her.

Lizzie thinks she's found him.


	3. Mothers

**Hey Everyone! Sorry for the late chapter, but here it is! This one has less Klaus, but does have more Caroline with her girls. Manly Hope! As you can tell from the titles we're getting into all our TVD/TO mothers. I know it's not Mother's Day, but this is Fanfiction so...who cares. Already starting on the next chapter which would be an Add on! Not fix-it!**

**I've been getting messages so just to elaborate for you guys, I am so sorry about the confusion, but Fix It's: Are me taking an episode form Legacies and recreating the events and what I wished happened. Like I did first chapter with The Boy Who Still has a Lot of Good to Do. **

**Add-ons: Are completely off the script, they're my made-up stories that could happen in between the canon episodes. Like Separate Rooms, Separate Lives. As you can see they tough base with what is happening with canon, and even mention things in the episodes, but it's not following the episode. Hope that clarifies things.**

**Sneak Peak for next chapter: This would be both an Add-On. Were gonna throwback to a month after Klaus and Elijah die. Caroline's back story will be different, which will influence the twins story but everything else will be the same. The heretics Nora and Mary-Louise will feature as well as Aunt Bonnie and the Mikalelson siblings! And sorry for everyone who has been enjoying the twins and Hope's sister moments, since this is going to the beginning, remember Hizzie hates each other and Hosie are on the rocks.**

**Hope you like the chapter!**

Celebrations were probably the biggest thing Mystic Falls was known for. For a small town, that was barely acknowledged on any US Map, getting tourist and any type of attention outside the town was an anomaly.

There were the standard decades celebrations at Mystic Falls High that the humans loved to lord over the boarding school. Showing them how normal and cool they were, which then resulted in a retaliation of the Salvatore School throwing more opulent dances that the little humans could never attend with how much security and precautions their fancy boarding school has, even though the Young and Gifted were known to crash there's. Then there were the town events. Yes, the boarding school was invited to those, but most of the students didn't want to attend some tea or sit and watch humans fake around with each other. Plus, even though it wasn't said, it seemed Alaric didn't trust the vampires too much, so he was all too happy to give them the night off, in the grounds of the school, to make up for the lack of attendance. There were the supernatural holidays. Some that the humans even take place in. Hope remembered celebrating Remembrance Day, writing more letters than most for all her lost loved ones, while trying to reign in the bitterness that threatened to creep in.

Then there were the human holidays that supernatural' 1000- or 2-years old's, still couldn't help but join in. Christmas. Thanksgiving. St. Patrick's Day. Her Uncle Kol has a ball in Ireland during March. With her family being technically associated with British, Thanksgiving was on and off for Hope. While the Mikaelsons treated it like any other day. Her mother was American, so Thanksgiving was taken place in the wolf pack. A small affair, but still the traditional dishes and pack members around a table, well...campfire. Klaus laughed at her mother's silly American traditions. The fourth of the July too. Her mother didn't give it any mind though.

Neither did her step-mother.

Though to be fair Klaus has never belittled anything having to do with the love of his life.

So, this particular holiday was handled with extra care and grace. They didn't want to step on anyone's toes, belittle emotion or disrespect anyone or their memory. Each of his four favorite girls wanted something out of this day and Klaus wanted it to go smoothly.

Mystic Falls, the Forbes/Saltzman's, and the Mikaelsons all have dabbled in the world's holidays, but this one hit a little bit closer to home.

It was May 10th. And in two days it would be the 12th.

Mother's Day.

Each supernatural and human had things in mind for it.

Alaric was eternally grateful for Caroline's presence in his daughter's life. He was well aware that the only reason he had two loves of his life was because this young women, shy of 20 years old decided to yet again be her selfless self and put her old history teacher before herself, her education, and her life, and willingly give birth and mother his twin daughters. He would be eternally grateful and always be their little subsect family. With all of that said, while he encourages his girls need and want to celebrate their mother, he didn't want them to forget about the other part. The other person they, and he himself, should be thankful that made it possible for them to be here. Jo.

Alaric always took the girls to her grave site. They would sit and talk about memories, and he'd answer questions, and show pictures. They'd leave flowers and then he would send them off to Caroline for their girly day of celebrations. It wasn't enough in Alaric's case, he didn't think it would ever be enough, but he understood that the girls wanted to celebrate the mother they knew and who was alive more than sit and be sad and cry with him in a cemetery. Especially when they were younger and didn't even really understand it.

Josie and Lizzie both appreciated the time with Jo and Caroline. Lizzie appreciating a bit more, after meeting Jo temporarily on their birthday. Even though she didn't bond with her as much as Josie obviously did. Josie appreciated it. Seeing a piece of herself that fit in with her parent. In a way that Caroline and Alaric didn't. The grave site is sad and it brings tears to the brunette eyes more than once, remembering her namesake, but even the emotional twin could only handle so much tears, before she needed comfort, and then wanted to go begin the day with Caroline. Lizzie still felt like she was cheating on Caroline by attaching herself to Jo as much as Josie was, but after a talk with Caroline, she got over it and still went to the gravesite with her dad and sister, but didn't get too invested in it, not wanting to get emotional on what is supposed or be a day of celebration.

Caroline understood Alaric's need to not let Jo go unremembered. She herself spoke about the brunette to the twins too. She thought it was prudent. So many people comment on Lizzie and Caroline together, their mannerisms, and behavior. She didn't want Josie to feel left out. Whenever Lizzie proclaimed a 'just like mom' with them together. Caroline would smile and point out that Josie just took after the soft-spoken beauty Josette. And then joke on their less than stellar days, that neither took after their mothers and were unfortunately the spitting image as their father. Giggles and laughter soon followed after.

Caroline loved the time she spent with her girls on her day. In the beginning she really needed those days. Alaric's harsh words when they were little and kidnapped about not being hers, always caught up to her and she loved the reminder that she was the one they called mommy, and thought that she walked on water. The girls always had something planned. Nails and spa, Slumber party, tea party, shopping date, cooking and wine, (cranberry juice when they were young and then she allowed a little glass of red or white when they hit 15), picnics, and park dates. Her girls were very imaginative and it was always something new every year, with new ideas joining as they got older and were allowed to do more. Caroline loved every minute of it, and as the years passed, she needed no reassurance. They were her girls, and when her girls went with their Dad to pay respects to their bio-mom, as Lizzie dubbed her at 12, she paid respects to hers.

Caroline and Elizabeth Forbes weren't typical mother and daughter. She could think of some really great moments, but unfortunately there's even more bad moments in there. Caroline truly believed that Liz didn't care about her or love her, and Liz didn't exactly try to change her opinion while working over-time and double shifts, and never being home to spend time with her. To top it off, vampirism came into Caroline's life and open arms were the last thing she received. No, a father who tortured her and a mother who temporarily abandoned her and refused to claim her was what happened. And it took ages for that to change, and when it did it was slow, and also took Caroline practically having to sign her name in blood, that she wouldn't hurt innocents for Liz to be okay with it. It seemed a mother's love could be conditional.

With all of that, there were happy moments. Liz setting up a tea party in the backyard for her, Elena and Bonnie. Lullaby's passed down the Forbes line, sung in nursery's and stormy nights. Hugs, kisses, and birthdays. Through all their struggle and strife, Caroline couldn't ignore basic facts. Elizabeth Forbes loved her daughter, as best as she could, in her own way. Secondly, she was the parent that stayed. Through the childish fits, the teenage bitchiness, the vampirism transformation. She stayed. She loved. She died. The one person who had the power to break her, and did. She left her thanks to cancer of all things. Caroline let both her parents go without regrets, though letting Liz go was harder and took longer than Bill. Caroline was supposed to get a lifetime with Liz, even if she had to leave Mystic Falls, she was supposed to have more time. Caroline loved being a vampire, and she loved the time she had in front of her. She knew humans time tables and supernaturals were different, but she truly didn't realize it fully until a piece of her heart turned to dust and ash along with her mother.

So that's where she stands, every year. While the twins are looking at a headstone of her oldest namesake. Caroline is looking at the youngest ones. With a dozen daises, Liz's favorites, Caroline places them on the grave and catches her mother up on the last year of her life. One day she knows this couldn't be a yearly tradition anymore. Whether that's in a decade or a century, but for now, Caroline needs this. Needs to talk to her mother. Even if she can't talk back anymore.

Klaus never paid the holiday no mind to himself. Well, he ignored almost all of the holidays, but in reference to this one, he didn't see the point. His mother was an adulterous tyrant with a bone to pick with his siblings to many times to count. To say he would never celebrate her was nowhere concrete enough. Mother's Day was just another day. Until Hope.

Klaus didn't celebrate Haley. In the early years they hated each other and giving her a gift for birthing his daughter never crossed his mind. And with the distance and space between them in later years, he never thought to give it much attention, though he knows Hope has made some Mother's Day cards on and off for her mother, when supernatural business didn't disrupt the holiday, cards he knew Haley had kept till her last days. When life didn't get in the way and interrupt it, he knew the two would spend one-on-one time during breakfast, lunch, or dinner, before Haley raced off to find the cures, and later on, to reign over her wolf pack; while Hope went back to school.

Since she was seven Hope saw the twins and Caroline have their Mother's Day fun. Even when Haley was still alive, they never had a whole day. She saw the twins leave and wake Caroline up in the teacher's quarters and blow streamers and throw balloons with a big breakfast on a tray. She would hear laughs and plans being made, and then the three would walk down the steps of the school like Vogue models and float out the school and into the car. They would always come back the next morning extra happy, which is saying something for Lizzie, and with great stories to share. Everyone loved Caroline at the school, she was the best, and they loved to hear about her and her life, even if it was the second source from her daughters.

Hope was always a little jealous. She didn't get those, with her mother here and gone. It was never that elaborate or long. Hope feels like she missed out on a lot of things by being a Mikaleson. She found it funny that Lizzie hated her for taking up her father's time, when Hope was envious of her bond with her mother, that wasn't like the one she had with her own. Haley was amazing. She spent most of her life trying to find her family, and then trying to help her daughters. She sacrificed and stood tall against everything and everyone. Hope's independent nature came primarily from her mom, she knew. Klaus having siblings, while could be independent, she knew her Dad liked it better with them than without them, not that he'd admit it. With all of that, Haley sometimes forgot about the fun stuff, the urge for her to just be a kid or just a girl wanting to talk and gossip with her mom. Try on clothes and get pretty, stuff that Hope did do with her aunt who was more than happy, but would have been happier doing with her mom, who unfortunately thought all the girly stuff was beneath a werewolf alpha queen as herself.

Caroline always came in after her day with the twins and gave Hope a cookie platter or cupcake box. Books, a shirt she thought was cute, or a little accessory. Sometimes a plate full of delicious homemade dinner made by herself no doubt. Not any 5-star Michelin chef, with rich, one of a kind delicacies. No, a homemade, made with love, messy but good home cooked meal. Hope always sneaked down and heated it up at midnight, and ate in the kitchen by herself. Hope loved the little attention Caroline gave. It reminded her of when she was younger, and used to spend most of her time with the blonde. The only one who seemed to miss her father, as much as herself.

While the twins were away having the time of their life with their mother. Hope visited the bayou and her mother. She sat at the bayou edge, and just listened to nature, breathed it in, and tried to find a little bit of peace that her mother said she found. Sometimes it worked, and it was like an out of body experience, just floating in between. Sometimes she was not so lucky and memories good and bad rushed forward, and the hard exterior cracked away to tears. Before she came back to school or back to the compound with Freya, she laid flowers at the tree with the mother's name carved in and pressed a kiss to her index and middle finger, before pressing it on the carved wood.

Each of them always came back a bit somber and quiet at first, before life breathed back into them and they seemed to get back in the groove of things.

It seemed Mother's Day held more importance in death than in life for his girls. This year it would be different though. Not just it was the first Mother's Day Klaus got to spend with Caroline, with their daughters, surprisingly, Hope wanted it to go a different way.

''Would it be alright for me to open a portal from here to New Orleans tomorrow?'' Hope asked her father while packing her school books in her bag.

Klaus raised an eyebrow. He knew what tomorrow was, it was the inclusion of a portal that tripped him up. Hope usually stayed the whole day in New Orleans and with the Cresent Pack, before nipping in to see her Aunt Freya and her little family with Keelan and Vincent. ''You want to come back after visiting...'' He trailed off. ''I figured you'd want to stay the day, drive back the next, I was just about to call the school to finalize things.''

Hope tucked a strand of hair behind her hair before turning to her dad. ''Well yea, I was. I usual do, but I thought you know maybe this year, I could spend most of my time here.'' Hope played on the strap of her messenger bag, while Klaus looked on curiously trying to follow his littlest wolfs thought process.

''While I would always love the pleasure of your company, you don't have to stay on my account.'' Klaus's eyes narrowed while assessing his daughter.

''I know. I wouldn't be spending the day with you. I mean you most likely will be around, but you wouldn't be in the day planned, I mean the day I had planned.'' Hope huffed, and licked her lips, while looking to the sky, as if she would find the right words to say from up above. Klaus couldn't help but smirk. He had it on great authority from a pretty blonde that that particular move is something he does a great amount when he's about to get sentimental and can't find the words.

''Hope-''

''I want to spend the day with Caroline!'' Hope rushed out.

Klaus stood shocked with his mouth open.

Hope misinterpreting his expression, immediately backpedaled. ''I mean, if that's okay with you, and the twins of course! I know they go with Alaric to the cemetery to see their birthmother and then to lunch, I figured me and Caroline can do something in that time slot. Then, her and the twins can do whatever they usually do every year, and then I can hang out with you, or go to the grill or do something before dinner tonight.'' Hope rambled on and on, which brought him back to earth.

Klaus couldn't help but smile. Soft and filled with pride. Her ramblings reminding him of his love and the trait that she seemed to give to his daughter. Hope wanted to spend the day with Caroline. Though he had a feeling she was apprehensive about carrying out those plans. Whether or not Caroline would want to, whether or not he would want her too, or if the twin's possessiveness would kick in and they would have problems with it.

Klaus was glad Hope wanted to spend a part of Mother's Day with Caroline. It felt like the last solidifying part of securing his own little family, away from the original one, was finally taking place. Himself and his three favorite girls. His family. With his siblings being a part of a different part of family. But still his. His own. He knew Caroline would appreciate it. His love would be happy to spend the day with Hope.

Being parents, and Caroline having to see Hope grow up first hand, that not he, nor Haley had been able to do, he asked Caroline about Hope's early years at the school. Klaus did keep in touch for the first few months, which was enough for Hope to ask questions about her dad's pretty blonde friend that was in charge. The added security that Caroline was indeed her dad's friend, and more so, knew all the horrible things he'd done and still considered him her friend, gave Hope some peace at school. That she had someone to talk to and be around as who she truly was. Hope Mikaelson, not Hope Marshall. According to Caroline little Hope had spent quite a lot of time with Caroline when she was younger. It's when she got older and that independent streak took over, that she distanced herself. Carline understood, and Hope always knew she was there, if she needed her.

''Hope it's all right love. I think Caroline would love to spend the day with you. You know maybe even the twins wouldn't mind you to join in their fun. I could ask.''

''No.'' Hope shook her head. ''It's not that I don't think they'd let me, I just- I just want to do something with just us two. We haven't done anything just us two since I was little.''

''You really spent a lot of time together haven't you.''

Hope smiled softly and shrugged. ''You know everyone wants to celebrate here. Supernatural or not, even if most people there don't have families to come celebrate with them, they all get together and forget in their own way, I was too much of a loner to join. And mom had important pack business to attend to so aside from a phone call, I didn't get to spend time with her either.'' Hope said bitterly. Klaus sighed. He was well aware that while his siblings were scattered, Caroline and Freya were the only ones left to see her grow up first hand. However, Haley had always felt her obligations and loyalty torn between the family of her daughter and the Cresent pack. The latter he found, most of the time taking precedents over their daughter, who Haley felt, and was secretly relieved, to know was in a safe place with the founders who were a family friend, who cared about and she knew would look after her.

That didn't make up for Haley's absences, not at all, considering he wasn't around himself, hollow or not, he felt like he couldn't say anything about her struggle of balancing motherhood, when she's been spending more years than he in fatherhood.

''There were some holidays I obviously didn't want any part of. Every Father's Day, Mother's Day, or whatever, turned into our day. Or a part of it, since Mother's Day was shared with the twins. But Father's Day, when the twins were with RIk, I had her to myself. We would watch movies and eat different kinds of take-out combinations, or just go for a drive to the next town over and walk and see the Mystic Falls parallel, of small-town life.'' Hope chuckled. ''We had so much fun. Talking, laughing, she gave secrets about the school and teachers, and I told some of mine, with the promise to never tell anyone else. By the time we got back I was so exhausted, she had to carry me up and put me to bed. I never realized it when I was younger, but as I got older, I realized now, while it was fun, she exhausted me on purpose. All I had to do was wake up, find her, and the day didn't seem so horrible to get through. ''

''I'm sorry you had to go through those days, but I'm happy you had Caroline for them.'' Klaus said softly finally. Feeling the grief of the years hit him.

''Hey, were okay now. Me, you, the twins, and Caroline.'' Hope said. ''She helped me so much, I never realized she probably needed some comfort as well. Did you know her mom well?''

Klaus considered the question for a minute. ''Yes, I did. One conversation with her and I could tell where Caroline got her strength and pride from. Elizabeth Forbes was a force to be reckoned with, and that's a human I'm speaking of. She deserved more years, more years defending this town and more years with her daughter, and getting the chance to see her granddaughters.''

''Does Caroline miss her?''

''Every day I bet. Spending time with her daughters however brings up her spirits a ton, I'm sure.''

''I hope so. I have it all planned out.'' Hope said smiling holding up a journal that seemed to be...color coded. Klaus raised one eyebrow at his daughter, with a smirk.

''Hey, she was my parent for almost a decade, some things were bound to rub off.''

Klaus couldn't have said it better himself.

XxX

''Alright babies, I'll see you when you get back!'' Caroline said to her girls as they were coming down the stairs.

''Do we have to go.'' Lizzie groaned while plopping down in the bottom step and dropping her purse beside her.

''Lizzie!'' Josie scolded.

''What!'' Lizzie said defensively back. ''No offense! I didn't mean it like that.'' Lizzie rolled her eyes. ''Just, ugh! This is supposed to be a celebratory day, a happy day, and I want to spend it with Mom. Yes, I understand the importance to put flowers on the grave and sit for a while, especially since we actually got to meet her, but afterwards we don't even get to come back to mom. We sit in melancholy and depression, while Dad looks sad, which he has every right too. I just don't particularly want to join him.'' Lizzie finished her rant.

Josie sighed looking at her twin. While they were both devasted by the come-back and death of Jo Laughlin...the second time. Josie took it a bit harder. Instead of being on the outside of her sister and mother, in their beautiful blonde, blue eyed glory, she finally had a parent she could relate too. No one would ever doubt that Lizzie was Caroline's, blood or not, but unless Josie calls her mom, or someone watches them for a while, they would never guess that the mousy brunette could be hers.

Josie didn't mind going to the grave site, or sitting with her dad afterwards to talk. It was the one day a year that they actual go this undivided attention. Lizzie loved it, and always tried to use the time to talk about anything and everything, that Alaric usually ignores on any other day. Their dad of course answers, but manages to remind and Lizzie the day and specifically this time is about their bio-mom, and their conversations went back to her. They sat and he would answer any and all questions about Jo. Josie was the one to ask the most questions, since Lizzie was either uninterested, or just wanted food. They would talk for hours and then come back and it was Caroline's turn. Josie liked their tradition. Or at least she used too. A lot.

Things changed. Their mom was back. Not just for a visit. She has all of her things brought from Europe and moved in with Klaus and Hope. They had another parent around; they didn't have to rely solely on Alaric for attention and support. Caroline was the head mistress of the school still. Everyone's favorite, though they never voiced it out loud. She came by once or twice a week to take appointments to talk to students and faculty. Aside from that she could be found at the Mikaelson mansion or around the school with her daughters, but strictly as a Mom who gave her daughters her undivided attention. The girls loved it. Not they didn't spend time with Alaric still, but they weren't persistent in it like before.

They also had Klaus. No, he wasn't their biological family, but the twins never viewed blood as making a legitimate family. If they did, they wouldn't even be here. Klaus was their moms...whatever term they used for each other and a father-like figure to them. He took care of them, talked to them, and spoiled them rotten, to the annoyance of Alaric. So now the twins had three parents to run too for company, support, and love.

With all of that being said. The girls while wanted whole-heartedly to put flowers on Jo's grave and sit for a while, they didn't have to be sneaky and use the day to monopolize their fathers time like they needed to before. They can talk to him whenever, and if he was busy, they had their Mom and Klaus. So, the plan to spend 6 hours of the day was pushing it a little for the girls, especially when they had a mother who they could still appreciate and celebrate, living, and waiting patiently at home for them. Caroline never said anything about the time they spent with Jo, or Alaric's Mother's Day tradition. She understood completely, let the three have their time and waited till they returned to spend time with her babies. Whether she truly had no problem, with it, or didn't feel like she had a right to ask for more time on the day, the twins didn't know, but Caroline seemed fine, so they never pushed. Caroline was okay with it. It gave her time to see her own mother and she understood that the girls had another mother, whether she was alive to see them or not. It wasn't a competition, just another person to love the girls as much she does, and was touched that Jo approved her as their mother, even after that business with her humanity off, that unfortunately Jo was a front row witness to.

''Sweetie even if you feel like that, you still have to go and keep a positive outlook. If not for Jo, then your dad. This day is a remembrance for who he lost too.''

Lizzie rolled her eyes with a bit less attitude. ''Of course, mom.'' She nodded her head determined. ''We will spend time with dad and Jo and have our time at the Grill. And you,'' Lizzie trailed off with a pout, she really didn't like the thought of her mother just sitting around waiting for them to celebrate her, it sounded hurtful, like they were overlooking her, not to mention lame. ''What are you going to do besides visit grandma. I hate that we leave you alone for hours every year.''

''Sweetie I'm fine.'' Caroline tried to console her daughter.

''Actually, maybe I can help with that, if you guys don't mind that is.'' Hope cautiously walked into the room with Klaus beside her, little smiles on both faces.

Lizzie stood up from the steps and flew at the hybrid, while Josie gave a squeeze to the tribrid. ''I didn't think we would see you today, Hope I figured later, but are you joining? You totally can! That would be so great-''

''Sweetheart'', Klaus answered with a warm chuckle. He truly was charmed by the blonde, by both twins but Lizzie was like a little version of his love and her similarities to her mother always warmed him. Not to mention he loved that Lizzie adored him as much as he them. The blonde's eyes lit up when he walked in and he wouldn't be a true father, if he didn't admit that he loved that the girls were complete daddy's girls, well Klaus's girls.

''I would love to join my favorite girls, but I think this day is just for you lot. I will be the one humbly sitting by the phone and waiting for all my loves to come back to me.'' Klaus fake pouted and kissed Elizabeths head. Lizzie smiled back and shook her head okay.

''What do you mean later?'' Hope asked, remembering Lizzies comments before.

''What did you mean by Mom being occupied?'' Josie asked.

''Oh well'', Hope tucked her hair behind her ear in a nervous habit, ''I was wondering, hoping actually, uhm, maybe me and your mom, and well my step-mom or whatever, well not whatever, but you know what I mean, but maybe she would like to spend part of the day with me and then you three go about what you planned.'' Hope said in all one breath.

''Well she sure rambles like a Forbes.'' Lizzie remarked. Josie knocked her elbow into her sisters' side.

Hope gave a dry chuckle. At least she was joking. This is good. No need to ignite Lizzie's possessive side.

''That is if Caroline wants to... I mean, you don't have to, but I just-'' Hope trailed off.

''I'd love to sweetie.''

''I have the whole thing planned!'' Hope said, excited that Caroline would say yes.

Caroline walked to the tribrid and pulled her into a warm side hug. ''I would love the company and it will give us a chance to catch up.''

Hope smiled and turned to her dad, who looked just as equally thrilled.

''So, Hope, 4 o'clock work for you?''

''Wait, huh?'' Hope asked distracted.

Lizzie rolled her eyes. ''Later remember? At 2 o clock we get together and fix everything up before coming to get Mom at 4?''

''Oh! Uhm'', Hope looked genuinely confused and surprised. She couldn't believe that Lizzie was actual letting her take place in her Mother's Day with Caroline, but she was thrilled to be included. Thinking back to everything she's missed with her self-imposed isolation. Looking over to Klaus, she saw her father with a smirk on his face and lifted his shoulders to say why not. Looking back at the twins, ''Yea, that's great. 2 o'clock.''

''Great then, everything's set!'' Lizzie exclaimed excitingly.

''What's set?'' Alaric showed up confused and annoyed noticing the hybrid there.

''Mom and Hope are going to spend the beginning of the day together while we go with you.'' Josie supplied feeling the tension in the room.

The animosity was still there in the mix-matched family, but it was mostly from Alaric himself. Every time he saw Caroline with Klaus and the girls, he felt like an outsider. Klaus and Caroline were the parents and he was just this man on the sidelines. Everyone, including the hybrid himself assured him that that wasn't the case. He would always be the twins' father, that would never change. He was just another person to love and care for them. When put like that Alaric couldn't very well say anything without coming off as the bad guy, and he was still trying to regain ground and trust with his girls and Hope.

''Well, that great.'' Alaric pushed out. ''That's great. Well then, yes, let's get this show on the road.''

The twins gave Caroline, Klaus, and Hope a big hug before heading out with their dad, with a reminder for Hope to set her alarm for 2 or have Klaus remind her.

Hope turned to Caroline. ''So, we'll be going home for what I have planned. To the back yard.''

Caroline smiled brightly with recognition. From her many visits to the Mikaelson Mansion when she was young gave her a good extensive knowledge to the property. Their backyard was spacious, spanning acres and acres. Tucked to the side however was the most beautiful flower garden with a bench and pond. A bigger scale model to what they had at the school. Where seven-year-old Hope and Caroline used to get together and talk or just sit in silence, sometimes contemplating the man they each loved so much. Something they haven't done since she turned 12 and started her independent streak.

''That sounds amazing.'' Caroline smiled at Hope with her eyes glistening.

The trio made their way outside and Klaus opened the door for his loves as they made their way to their destination.

xXx

''I'm sorry we haven't done this in a while.'' Hope interrupted their companionable silence.

''What do you mean sweetie?''

''This. You and I. Tea, sandwiches, and talking. We haven't done it in a while.'' Hope elaborated.

''No, we haven't. But that's okay, it's to be expected, your growing up, and it wasn't as if I've been settled here for a while.''

''True.'' Hope chuckled.

After a moment Hope gave Caroline her Mother's Day gift.

''Remember when we first met.'' Caroline smiled remembering the day Hope was talking about and nodded her head.

''And the day I first came into your office?'' Hope continued. Caroline's smile still in place, nodded her head.

''I was worried at first. Mom talked a big game about the school, but I always felt she did that so I would feel comfortable enough to go. I of course did end up liking it here, even if I wasn't always the most social kid. But...being Hope Marshall was a lot. Being fake and trying to be perfect, and act like I wasn't a Mikaelson, or the words people whispered about them didn't apply to me as well. Sometimes I just needed to get away and to breathe.'' Hope looked up from the ground and turned to Caroline. ''That's when I go looking for you.'' She said softly with a smile.

''It was nice to be around someone who knew me and my family. Who didn't expect anything, who knew my secret and my history and wouldn't judge. The fact that you cared about us was just a bonus.''

''It wasn't the first time I went looking for you though.'' Caroline looked confused. ''After a few months there, as you know Mom stopped coming around routinely.''

Caroline remembered. After a visit from Haley, Hope wasn't exactly in a great mood afterwards. Later Haley called and said she was slipping on her duties as Alpha and while she would obviously still come to the school to check in on Hope or if there was ever any trouble, but she couldn't keep coming once a week. Caroline hmm'ed and okay'ed and reassured Haley that she would make sure Hope would be okay, and she wasn't lying. While she didn't fully understand why Haley wouldn't move to the same state as Hope and let someone else be an interim Alpha in the pack, she supposes she probably wouldn't since she's not a wolf, but Haley truly sounded upset over her decision and genuine with her heartache. Whatever problems they had, they were mothers to extraordinary children, and that is what tied them together. So, she reassured Haley, and always made sure to leave her door open for the little red-head whenever she may need.

''After she stopped coming, I didn't have anyone to really talk to. My aunts and uncles were spread out and I still didn't truly know no one here. I spoke to my Aunt Rebekah one day and she mentioned you. I know Mom introduced you as Dads' old friend, but I wasn't sure. She spoke about how you knew Dad well and our family and how you wouldn't mind being there to talk to me.''

Caroline nodded. Showing she was following.

''I saved the idea and tucked it away, and then my uncle called. I'm assuming he was calling because my Aunt called him. He gave me some stories about you and dad. Some funny ones, some sad ones, some happy. But one of them, or rather a part of them gave me pause. The reason you and dad weren't together is because he came to New Orleans. To be with me. To see my Mom's pregnancy through. And then we went through drama after drama, so him coming back wouldn't have been possible.''

''He would have still been here in Mystic Falls with you, if I hadn't come. While I really did want to come talk to you, I though you would hate me, for taking him away.'' Hope whispered towards the end.

Caroline went still.

''But the weeks turned to months and I felt pent up like I was ready to blow, and by then my fear and anxiety meant nothing so I came to you,'' Hope took Caroline's hand and squeezed, ''you were great. You smiled, you didn't make me talk and when I left you gave me a piece of candy.''

''That became our routine.'' Caroline said softly.

''Then I started to talk and you talked and we talked and I didn't feel so alone anymore. I started to feel guilty a bit after a while though. Most of the stuff I talked to you about I didn't even bring up with my aunts or uncle or mom. I thought she would be jealous or hurt but, I remember one day, after a particular rough week for me, I just couldn't keep my temper in check, Mom didn't come to the school, but she called, and we talked and she asked me was I okay and if I needed to talk. I know she really was worried, but I also heard the wolves in the back begging for her attention, so she was distracted. But she mumbled a small pray, or just a thought, under her breathe, not talking to me or anyone in general, and she said. 'Thank god, you have Caroline when I'm not there. I'm glad you have her'.''

''That was big. In my opinion. Mom, and Dad I guess are, were, possessive over me, and in general, so the fact that she was grateful that I had you, even when she wasn't here meant a lot. Caroline you really are great, and practically perfect'', Hope chuckled, ''and I'm sure without her saying it, you and I would have made our way to an amazing mother and daughter relationship, I didn't need my mother's approval to move on, but at the same time...''

''It was nice to have.'' Caroline nodded with a soft smile. ''Yeah,'' Hope replied.

''Dad always says your full of light, you were his only light before I came along. Shining, and breaking through all his darkness and letting him bask in your light too. What I wanted to say in my long-winded story telling way-''

''You just pulled off a phenomenal Forbes ramble, it's okay you can be proud of it.'' Caroline nudged her shoulder causing the young tribrid to laugh.

''Well you did help raise me.'' Hope said, bringing the conversation back around.

''With all that being said. Thank you for raising me in your light as well. I don't think Dad and I would have made it without you. I love you Caroline.''

Caroline's eyes were misted, before they were flooded, and a few emotional tears came sliding down her cheeks. She opened her arms and the equal emotional teenager flew into them, letting her stepmother rock her back and forth. ''Thank you, little dove.''

''I knew about you before you were even here.'' Caroline murmured softly. Hope pulled back a smidge and looked up at her stepmother surprised, before resting her head back down to her chest.

''You were probably 4 months along in Haley's stomach when Tyler Lockwood came barging in the grill and telling us Klaus Mikaelson was going to be a Dad. My reaction while I completely understand your apprehension, really wasn't needed. Oh, little dove, I've loved you from the moment I found out about you.''

Hope looked up shocked.

''Your father and I's relationship was more than complicated with various and differing interchanging labels and definitions we gave to each other, but, in the simplest of definitions, and easiest translation are the facts: He was my friend. And I loved him. And for the longest time, the man who viewed love as a weakness and kept everyone out while simultaneously trying to create his own family was getting the best love in the world. _And unconditional one_. I was so happy for him. Of what you would give him. He may have had doubts of how he would become father, but I knew. Deep down, passed the thousand years of hatred, betrayal, and blood, he's learned tough lessons and those lessons would be the reason he didn't repeat mistakes and would be an amazing father.

Hope had tears in her eyes and falling down her cheeks. She knew the story of her conception and birth. It wasn't romantic by any means, and if it was just two random humans and not the powerful Original Hybrid or werewolf, it would even be called cheap and dirty. Neither her father or mother knew what to make of having a child. Her mother rocked back and forth with terminating the pregnancy, and her father rocked back and forth between killing her mother. While her Uncle Elijah always wanted her, it wasn't because of her, it was because of this vision he had for a peaceful family, where her father would somehow turn into an upstanding citizen of supernatural society all because he was a father know. Which obviously didn't happen.

No. Caroline, this woman who never met her, disliked her mother, and was separated from her father, loved her the moment she heard about her. Yes, because of the happiness she would give to Klaus, but not out of any divine redemption or new plan for the Mikaleson glory, but because she thought Klaus deserved it all, love, happiness, respect, and family. Temperamental and devious, crown on his head and deadly. All parts of him. And when he was drying blood off his hands and coming home from massacres, he deserved to have a little piece of heaven.

''You said your thankful to me for shining my light for you and Klaus, and your welcome dove, but you were his light too, when I wasn't there. You kept his heart filled with it too. And now mine. Your worry of me hating you wasn't warranted. I've loved you, your whole life, and I will love you for the rest of mine.''

Hope was sobbing now. She didn't care that she was a MIkaleson and they don't show weaknesses. She didn't care she was a Marshall and they were always supposed to remain strong no matter what. In this moment, she felt so loved. In only a way a Forbes could provide. While she wasn't one, she was raised by one, and Forbes were tough and proud, with their hearts on a sleeve bigger than the sun, and they felt, and cried, and celebrated. So here and now in the arms of Caroline Forbes, Hope's guards went down and she let the past years melt away, knowing she was going to be okay and knowing that while she doubted it over the years, she knew now she was 100 percent truly loved. From the very beginning.

The Mikaelsons while loved fierce and hard, didn't show it in the softest of ways, didn't express feelings well either. So Caroline was well aware of the fact that while Hope didn't give a wrapped gift with bows or a card with a poem in the inside, or a piece of jewelry to add to her set. She gave her something that Mikaelsons don't give easily, and rarely do.

Their trust. Their emotions. Their truth. _Their heart._

It was the greatest gift she ever received.

Settled after a while and Caroline humming a lullaby in her hair Hope smiled against her shoulder.

''Happy Mother's Day Care.''

**Review and Stay Tuned!**


	4. Mikaelsons Aren't Always Blood

Hey guys, here is an add-on story. It stands alone, and has absolutely nothing to do with the things that have already happened in the first three chapters (The Boy Who Still Has a Lot of Good to Do, Separate Rooms, Separate Lives, and Mother), that take place in the same time scape.

We're going back in time for this one. A different ending after the Originals ended. Adding in our heretic friends, changing up Caroline's back story, and adding in some things about the Saltzman family dynamic and the relationships between everyone. This is just Part 1, with Part Two coming to you all soon.

Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. Hope you all like it!

2 weeks. 13 hours. 42 minutes. 33 seconds...

Niklaus Mikaelson has been gone from this earth.

Lizzie and Josie were in their rooms but could just feel something off. They obviously knew the past few days weren't the easiest, at least for everyone around them. Hope is an orphan. The Mikaelson family split up. The school's new label for the lonely girl was now 'liar' since they all found out that Marshall was just an alias. And their mother.

Their mother was inconsolable.

There are different kinds of grief and different kinds of crying. Josie's eyes get big and watery, flooding her eyes until they look crystalized and then she blinks and they fall in big splashes down her cheeks. Lizzie was instant, she didn't need a build-up, didn't need to hold herself together. When she felt something, she let it out. Her tears, her angers, her magic. Which usually led to her episodes that just decided to make an appearance a few months ago when she turned 12.

Caroline's tears changed over time. When she was human, she didn't let them out until she was alone and in private. Never letting the perfect smile leave her face, or taint her image. When she was alone, then she let the tears fall, as much as they wanted, no restrictions. It was the only way, because when dawn broke and the next day came, she had to be Caroline Forbes. Most popular girl in school. Head cheerleader, and president of multiple committees, as well as the Sherriff's daughter.

Caroline the newbie vampire was almost the same, except add the anger. Human her was filled with so much self-pity and low self-worth and insecurities that she didn't focus on being angry at the problem, just settled for sadness and wallowed in it. Vampire Caroline while had a few insecurities tucked away, wasn't girly little Caroline anymore. Anger and frustration happened almost as equally as the tears. One or the other came first. Tears and sadness, then anger. Anger at the problem, anger at herself for crying about it and not being strong enough, that anger usually needed a scape goat. Her homework, a situation, or a person, anyone but herself, because if she admitted that she was the one making herself so unhappy in life, then she would have to face some hard truths about her town, friends, and moral code that she, at the time, couldn't do, thus making Miss Mystic Falls the biggest coward in Virginia, because she knew she wouldn't change anything, just let herself keep being unhappy.

Grown up Vampire Caroline, headmistress, entrepreneur, mother, and friend handled her sadness a little differently. More mature, and centered since her teenage years, and met a lot of influential people, Caroline learned a thing or two. Her sadness was still coming in spouts. It was all at once and came in gallons. Lasted either 30 minutes or 3 hours, but when it was over and the last tear fell, she swept into melancholy and stillness, waiting for the excess to slip from her body before she had to be a big girl again. She didn't blame anyone for her sadness or trouble anymore, and she didn't blame herself for anything that she didn't do, just to put more guilt on herself. She took it for what it was, her emotion, she dealt with it, let it out, and then got up and faced another day.

That's how the twins found her. After getting that unsettling feeling and not being able to go back to sleep, the twin's crept downstairs, and sat on the end of the stairs. Diagonal from the hall was the headmistress office which held their other, a few scattered photographs, and a bottle of empty wine. Their mother crying hysterically on the ground. By the time the twins snapped out of their surprise and were about to go comfort her, it seemed Caroline was at the end of her tears. Now just sniffling and rocking back and forth. Lizzie stood to walk to her, before they heard a knock and a glow appear before their mother's door. Josie yanked Lizzie back to the steps and turn to see the figure that materialized in front of their mother.

''What are you doing here?'' Caroline asked the lady.

The lady stepped forward and started emptying out ice cream tubs and wine bottles on the table.

''My best friend just lost the love of her existence. Of course, I'm here Care.''

_Aunt Bonnie!_ The twins looked at each other in surprise and happiness, while the two old friends hugged.

''Now, tell me everything I already know, but you never had the balls to admit out loud.'' Bonnie asked her blonde friend with a lift of her eyebrows and a cheeky smile.

''Bennett!'' Caroline shouted at the gall of her bold friend.

Bonnie shrugged her shoulders. ''We're not teenagers anymore Care. No omnipresent moral officer and guide is going to snatch away your 'good guy' card. You lost someone you love. Who cares about what a thousand years summed up to? _You_ still lost him. How do _you_ feel. Honestly. Truthfully.'' Bonnie said all this with an earnest and soft voice, genuinely wanting her friend to let out whatever she was thinking. Judging by her eyes, she let out emotions, but no matter the age, she was still Caroline Forbes, and she still needed to talk things through sometimes.

''I feel like...I feel like I took him for granted. Even though we weren't together, I always knew that he was still out there somewhere. I could always pick up the phone or write him, and I would have his attention, because, well, I'm,_ me_ and he was_ him_. We were Klaus and Caroline._ Were._'' Caroline said wearily in complete exhaustion while shaking her head in her hands. _We were._

''I miss him. So much. I always have missed him, but in a way that was normal, like I saw something that triggered a memory or I saw something that reminded me of him or something he said. The way you usually miss people that aren't around you all the time.'' Caroline got up and started pacing. ''And you know I feel like I don't even deserve to miss him, because the ball was in my court, I could have contacted him anytime, I could have went to him anytime, I could have walked in there and said 'hey, let's start our forever, but no, I had to be ''responsible'', I had to be a mother and partner and headmistress, and stupid stupid teenager Caroline.''

''Hey now, don't call my best friend stupid.'' Bonnie pulled Caroline back down to the couch. ''What do you mean teenage Caroline?''

''The Caroline that couldn't put herself first. The one that made herself the bottom toll, the bottom tier, last. Everyone came first. Honestly, that's just my disposition, I guess, when it comes to people I care about, but I thought I grew out if it some. Yea, I work in Europe, but I take time to see people and do the things that I want, or I thought I want, but no. I chose the easy route. The easy route, where Rik wouldn't be mad, he wouldn't sneer and complain that I was letting him cloud my judgement and was letting him hurt our family, all because of a crush. I let him be the spear head for the girl's lives so even though they don't have two married parents, they at least have civil parents that can get along. The girls wouldn't have to deal with another step-father-figure, even though Stefan was when they were so young, they probably had gotten over it by now, still, a complete shift in the family dynamic may be asking too much. All the problems that could potentially come from having Klaus Mikaelson in my life again. I chose everyone but me...again. I gave up the one thing, person, I wanted more than anything in the world.'' Caroline's voice began to break. ''The one who put me first, makes me feel perfect, my Klaus.''

Bonnie rubbed her friends back, as she sniffed, and tried to reign in her tears. Caroline gave a dry chuckle. ''I can't even say that can I? He wasn't mine; I didn't let him be, but losing him, I can still feel the pieces of my heart falling down.''

''Oh Care.'' Bonnie whispered, getting emotional herself.

''I didn't even get to tell him I loved him, just that I wouldn't forget him, which was obvious, because who could forget him. It was a cop out. I am coward, I should have told him I loved him.'' Caroline spoke smoothly in a whisper all while sitting down looking forward with blank eyes, shaking her head back and forth as if her whole life was falling apart.

The twins were still on the steps listening to every word. Their heart breaking for their mother. The twins knew a lot about their family, all sides. Whether from stories told, or ease dropping, or snooping through old items of their mothers, fathers, not to mention the storage space where the old Mystic Crew swept the town of any and all supernatural items or trinkets that were left to be found in the town's livelier years.

All that led to them knowing the history of their mother and Klaus Mikaelson. Their father, no matter how much he's tried to instill the severity and ruthlessness of their family into his daughters, which was kind of hypocritical since the actual Mikaelson daughter was his favorite person in the whole world, the twins never really believed it. Mostly, because he spoke it with so much vengeance and coldness that only could be spoken from someone on the receiving side of things. So, he was a bit bias, not that he didn't deserve to be, but the twins also knew that half of that came from him parenting over Elena and Jeremy Gilbert, both of which were repeat recipients of the hybrid's ire, which in that case, the twins didn't care much.

Damon and the newly Salvatore were persona non grata for their mother. The specifics are fuzzy, if not at all there, but one thing their mother put her foot down on was limited communication with Damon Salvatore and Elena. Which the two newly humans didn't mind much. They wanted to start their life over out of the supernatural drama, which was the reason Damon gave the school over, they didn't want any memories. So, besides birthday cards and a few gifts, the twins had nothing to do with them or their children. Their father wasn't happy about it, Damon was, is, still his favorite drinking buddy, and they still hang out, but after it was made clear that their mother wasn't budging, and her vampire face was close to coming out, Alaric had to bow out.

Their mother was perfect in the twin's eyes. Terribly beautiful, fun, comforting, funny, amazing mother, that always had time for the girls even though she was working, she would drop everything and talk to them. It's what made them always go to her first, and do what she said mostly, ergo, why they agreed to help Klaus Mikaelson. Even though their parents always posed a united front about things, they did see that their Dad always lead the charge, and sometimes they could even tell from their mothers looks that she didn't agree with the decision. In times like that it was normal for Caroline to see the twins later on and comfort them or reassure them that things were okay, and even let them get away with a few things, since she didn't think their crime fit the punishment.

Maybe it was because of that, that the girls didn't really dig too much into what could be wrong with their family dynamic. No, their parents weren't married, and yes, it seems like their father's word is law, but did it always have to be like that? Could they change that?

Lizzie's mind was working in over drive. They're mother did everything for them, for everyone. It was why she was so popular among the students. She was right, she put everyone ahead of herself, and apparently it hasn't gotten her anything. She deserves to get what she wants for a change. Klaus makes her mother want to do anything, so maybe he can help with that. All the things she disagreed about with the school, herself and Josie? Their mother was smart, wicked smart. Lizzie knew she dropped out of Whitmore, to have them, but she also knew she went back, not as a full-time student, sleeping in the dorms mind you, but she went back to take more classes. She bet there were loads of stuff and ideas that mom had for the supernatural of today, but her dad, bless him, was only human, so anything their mother, a vampire, could think of would be considered ''too dangerous''.

_Well I'm just going to have to fix that aren't I?_

Josie felt awful. As the caretaker, she was always taking care of Lizzie, making sure her Dad wasn't too stressed, and always trying to behave and be the perfect daughter, and now she's realizing she hadn't been taking care of her mother, at all. The rational part of Josie knew that wasn't true though, and her mother wasn't upset over that. Caroline told her little girl early on, it wasn't her job to take of her, it was her mothers. Josie while didn't fully agree, and always likes being around to run little errands that her mother let her, always liked that with her mother, she got to be a kid. A kid who was taken care of, who didn't have to watch out for Lizzie, because their Mom was doing it, and it gave Josie time to just be...well just be. Yet, Josie still felt like a bad daughter. Their mother lost a friend, a love, and she was hurting. They never had seen their mother cry a lot. When they were young, after Stefan's death, another time when they went with her to put flowers on her mother's grave, and now. Caroline Forbes was always strong, always the person everyone leaned on for support and help. She thinks that's why she was everyone's go-to person, because her mother was loyal. Their Aunt Bonnie, while was here now, she knew they still talked only sporadically throughout the years. It did raise the question for Josie though. Who does Mom turn to when she needs to lean on someone? Who gives her support? Who does she talk to?

_No one, but I can think of somebody who could._

The twins looked at each other. Lizzie raised a finger to her mouth and they crept back upstairs into their bedroom. The twins hopped into bed and laid down for a while tossing and turning.

Lizzie sat up and flipped her light switch on. ''Josie, swear on everything and everyone you hold dear, before I tell you this, that you won't blab, I mean it.''

Josie sat up and turned her light on too, looking at her sister shocked and wary. ''I swear I won't blab. Unless you could potentially hurt or kill yourself.'' Josie hurried up and added as an afterthought. _Better safe than sorry, you never know with Lizzie._

Lizzie stared at her twin long and hard. ''Oh well, never mind, goodnight.'' She switched off her lamp and laid down.

''Wait Lizzie!'' Josie got out of bed and sat on her sister's flipping the light switch back on. ''What do you think you're doing?''

''It's not for me, it's for Mom.''

Josie gasped. ''You want to bring Klaus Mikaelson back!''

Lizzie gasped. ''You do too, or else that wouldn't have been your first thought, thinking that I thought that!''

''What?'' Josie asked confused

''We're bringing back Klaus Mikaelson.'' Lizzie stated with a head held high.

''We're bringing back Klaus Mikaelson.'' Josie agreed with her head held high.

The twins went back to bed and tried to fall asleep. Tomorrow they had to get their game faces on and come up with a plan.

X-x-X

The twins begged off the next school day. Claiming cramps and twin sympathy pains. Most of the staff are men, and unsurprisingly didn't want to dig in to specifics, so gladly let the twins have their day, and sadly, Caroline was still stuck in a semi-daze, so her attention wasn't on her fibbing twins at the moment. They knew they couldn't do this every day. So the idea was just for the starting day, get everything together, map out times after class, lunch periods, extra curriculars, and cut down on the socializing, which Lizzie thought was unnecessary, and that way, the next time they would skip a class day would be the day of the resurrection when they brought back Klaus _and Elijah_.

Yes. The resurrection of one Original, turned into, two Originals. It made sense when they put their heads together. Klaus and his brother have been by each other's side for a thousand of years. It was safe to say that while Klaus would be happy about being back in the land of the living, it would be difficult without his brother by his side.

Lizzie thought that the fact that Klaus would get to be with their mother and Hope enough, and while Elijah's death would hurt, she doubts it would cripple him like Jo was suggesting.

That caused the brunette to look at her twin in disbelief before taking a deep breath and trying to make her understand. ''How would you feel if you lost me?''

All of Lizzie's bravado banished. No matter how many arguments, or how many times Penelope points out that Lizzie treats Josie horrible, at the end of the day, Lizzie wouldn't survive without Jo, heck she barely holds herself together most days.

''Okay, let's bring back both Originals.''

The problems came early on. Witch magic while has a lot of loopholes, as does everything in the world, some things were bound to nature and rules set in stone. To bring back a life, you must sacrifice a life. Sacrifices must be equal. There must always be a balance. What was once together, no matter if broken, can be whole again. There is always another way.

The girls were determined to bring their mother happiness, but they didn't want to think about how many people they would have to sacrifice to bring back one._ A thousand-year-old one._ And they didn't see that going over well with their father or mother. They knew their Aunt Bonnie performed a resurrection spell once, it cost her, her life, but she still performed one. They knew a few New Orleans witches that have and easily brought someone back, but then they died, or got caught up in the whole Mikaelson drama. Lizzie and Josie wanted to keep it quiet, they couldn't add in anyone, they had to do this on thier own. They couldn't trust anyone to keep their mouth shut, or try to weasel their way into getting something, or resurrecting someone in return. Heck, it was just the two of them and now their resurrecting two people instead of one. Which is why Lizzie looked at her sister like she was insane when the brunette suggest they get Hope involved.

''Did you smoke from one of the senior's stashes while I was in the shower this morning?'' Lizzie questioned.

''All I'm saying is that these spells are going to require a lot of power, which yes, we have, but something a bit more, and Hope is that more, Lizzie!'' Josie yelled exasperated at the end, noticing her sister shaking her head back and forth.

''So what? So, she can steal our idea and boss us around like she knows more than us?''

''Technically she does.''

''Technically, all of this is her fault anyway!''

''It's her family!''

''We're not doing this for her family remember, were doing this for ours! Our mother! We don't need Hope getting all emotional and bossy while we handle everything. Hope would want him back no matter what. She would probably skip everything were doing and just say 'hey, screw the sacrifices, tell me who I have to kill and I can have my family back', do you get that?''

Josie took a breather, while she thought Lizzie could be a tad more sympathetic, she did understand her point.

''We're trying to get our Mom what she wanted, but not at the suspense of, geez, how many innocents do you think it takes to resurrect two dead Originals.'' Lizzie asked sarcastically.

''Okay!'' Josie said annoyed.

Lizzie rolled her eyes, and grabbed her books. ''No, it isn't okay'', she said as she opened the day, not seeing Penelope that had stopped and hid behind the corner.

''I can't believe you suggested it in the first place. Stay here, while I go dig through the library, hopefully while I'm gone, you'll come up with actually solutions and not complete trash.'' With that she turned around and bumped into Satan incarnate.

''Ugh! Speaking of trash.''

''Hey Lizzie, oh look, actual books in your hands, are you actual going to read, or use them as a foot stool.''

''Maybe I'll use them to beat you upside the head with Park.''

''Guys stop.'' Josie came to the door looking bored. ''Lizzie don't you have to go collect our homework and get books we need for them.'' Josie said casually but with a look passed between the twins.

''Oh, right. Yes, I do, as you should be resting, and not letting this unsanitary person, sicken you more. Germs spread.'' Lizzie said with her nose scrunched up, walking away.

''Your sister-'', Penelope started with a dry chuckle.

''P, now isn't a good time.''

Penelope looked confused and hurt. She heard that the twins weren't feeling well, and while she didn't care about Lizzie, she wanted to check on Josie.

''I just wanted to see if you needed anything. Mr. Williams said you were feeling sick.''

Josie sighed. ''Yea, a bit, which is why you shouldn't be here, germs spread.''

''Yea, Josie, I heard Lizzie.'' Penelope snapped back. ''What do you have to say?'' She challenged back.

Josie knew very well how her sister and Penelope felt about each other. She always takes Lizzie side, since, well, that was her sister, so she understood why Penelope was trying to take a shot at her, but in this case, she was just too tired to start an argument. It was only 10 and the twins had been up since 6, trying to find a solution. As much as she liked Penelope and on any other day would want to hang out, today couldn't be one of them.

''I say, I'll see you tomorrow. I'm going back to bed.'' Josie said softly, trying to lessen the dismissal, before closing her door. ''Bye P.''

Penelope sighed and turned to leave. Vowing to try again tomorrow to make Josie more open and cursing Lizzie Saltzman to an early grave.

Three hours later and headway was happening. They didn't have to make any human or supernatural sacrifice and no one had to die. A sacrifice of a different kind had to be made, and while they were wary of the sacrifice, they were ultimately sure that it was the better alternative way to the rest. They couldn't find a spell of resurrection that wouldn't yield dire consequences, so with the help of their Aunt Bonnies old grimoire, and the Martin family's entire collection, who thankfully took detailed notes, the twins were going to make their own spell. Designed specifically for what they needed, not anything, or anyone else. A spell specifically tailored to resurrect another Original. Done and done. It seemed that everything was in place, except for the fact that they needed more magic to do this.

Lizzie and Josie stood on the bannister looking down on the cafeteria. The wolves usually ate outside, which left the witches and vampires in the dining hall. Josie and Lizzie were scouting potentials. The most powerful being Hope, was out, and most cunning, which would be Penelope, which got even more disapproval from the blonde than the Hope suggestion did. While there were good witches, powerful in their own right, but none they trusted enough with this to let in.

''So, I guess were back to the drawing board. Where to get more power?''

''Hey Jo, hey Liz.'' Hilary West, wolf, came up to the twins with a smile. ''Middle Party in the woods tonight. Welcome the newbies. I know you guys weren't feeling well today, but just wanted to let you know. Don't worry if you miss it though, we know Alyssa Chang will be all over with gossip about it tomorrow.'' Hilary rolled her eyes with a smile.

The wolves were pretty cliquey at the school, but some were more interested in the spirit of inclusiveness than the others. Hilary, brown skinned, honey eyes, and straightened black-haired bob, was one of them. Her best friend was a witch, and Lizzie knew from her own gossip circle, that she had a crush on one of the vampires. She was always friendly, the girl everyone got along with, her temper better than her hairier pack, which made her the go to, if problems every arose with the middle-aged wolves.

Middle Party was meant for middle aged students, that's how they classified it. 12-14, give or take a few months. Too old to be hanging out with the younger kids at the teacher watched little parties they threw them, but too young to go to the High-parties (pun intended), with the 15-18-year old's, with liquor, beer, and drugs. The twins were almost 13, but when they turned 12 in March, it was their first Middle party and they loved it. Truly their mother's daughters to never pass on a party. No, they didn't have liquor, beer, or drugs, but when you have great people, fun games, music and a dance floor mixed with a side of gossip and your classic truth or dare and seven minutes in heaven, who needs the added stimulus. Unfortunately, there is a first time to everything.

The twins smiled back, and thanked her for the invite. Making sure to let her know they would see how they felt and would try. Hilary understood and walked off, awkwardly passing by Hope, giving an even more awkward smile, considering the tribrid just heard the party invite be given, and didn't give her one herself.

Hope awkwardly retuned the forced smile and Josie saw and tried to make up for it. ''It's not really a paper invite thing, anyone can show up, she was just letting us know, because we weren't around today.''

Lizzie smirked. ''Like she would show up.''

''Why wouldn't I?'' Hope challenged back at the blonde.

Lizzie lifted an eyebrow. ''Oh, so after playing the lonely girl for 8 years, someone wants to come out of their little hideaway. Whatever Hope. You don't want to be a part of this school. Wish granted. You're not that important, were not going to beg.''

''I am a part of this school Lizzie.'' Hope rolled her eyes

''No, you _go_ to this school. You're not _a part_ of it. You chose that. Don't get an attitude with me, over your decision.''

''When did I make that choice?'' Hope asked with her eyebrows raised and lips pressed together.

''Oh, maybe when you didn't come to the school dances, or movie nights, or Christmas Balls, or Secret Santa, or Easter brunch, or Homecoming, or-''

''SO sorry, that I didn't feel like coming around and starting conversations with people! 'Hey, I'm Hope, I'm the only one of my kind, a tribrid, and my family is-''

''Boo freaking hoo.'' Lizzie dead panned. ''If I hear that sob story one more time, I'm going to enclose myself in my room for 8 years.''

Hope looked downright insulted with her mouth open.

''Everyone here has lost something; you don't get a patent on it. Nobody cares about your unicorn horse crap. Literally. If you hadn't noticed, which you probably haven't, this school isn't supposed to focus on differences, no one cares what you are, I promise I know dozens of people who dislike you and it has nothing to do with what you are or your last name, it's literally you and your personality. Myself included.'' Lizzie ranted with attitude at the tribrid.

Lizzie could tell her words hurt her. Whether because she knew they were true or because of what was said she wasn't sure, but ever the Mikaelson, she didn't let her tears fall, and looked Lizzie in the eye.

''I don't care what people think about me.'' Hope stated.

''Yea, and I'm the Queen of Sheeba.'' Lizzie rolled her eyes and threw her arms in the air exasperated. ''Don't you have somewhere to be, by yourself, alone, not ruining other people's lives.''

''I'm not ruining anyone's life by walking in the halls, but maybe since you already said it, how about I do go to that party tonight and ruin yours.'' Hope ranted out, raising her voice a little.

''Again, I say, look who's trying to be social all of a sudden.'' Lizzie said sarcastically. ''Do you think people will welcome you there? The girl who thinks she's too good to hang out with everyone.''

''I don't think I'm-''

''Who stayed in her room only coming out when she gets to go defy orders with the headmaster and not once get in trouble? The girl who didn't want to get to know any of us even though she's been going to the same school, living together, for seven years.'' Lizzie finishes.

''Drama queen.'' Hope deadpanned.

''Not in the slightest on this though. Everyone has heard of Hope Marshall, oops, I'm sorry, Mikaelson, and her 'oh so sunny disposition'. Lizzie says with a cruel happy grin and fake enthusiasm.

''As Josie said though please, go ahead, it isn't like its invitation only. Spread your wings and all that jazz.'' Lizzie says, going back to the banister and looking over it.

''You know. You can be a real bitch sometimes.'' Hope whispers.

''Said the dad stealing, name-calling, attention seeking orphan.'' Lizzie deadpanned while still looking over the bannister and not sparing the red-head a glance.

Josie gasped, while Hope just nodded her head and turned around and headed back to her room.

''Was that really necessary?'' Josie softly stated.

''Come on. Back to the drawing board. We can't trust the witches here.''

X-x-X

''Okay, Jo, be 100 percent honest with me. How dedicated are you to this? How far are you willing to go? I have a solution to the power problem, but it doesn't take two of us to go there, I can do this part by myself.'' Lizzie asked her answer with an excited though cautious look on her face.

Josie looked wary. ''What do you mean? Go where?''

''Answer the question.''

''It's Mom.'' Josie deadpanned, as if that explained everything, which in light of everything their doing, it did. ''We already agreed weren't killing off innocents for this, and that was our one line, so hit me with it, what do we need to do.''

''Okay!'' Lizzie clapped her hands together. ''So, were the last living members of our Gemini Coven, which you know is a Dark coven.'' Josie nodded her head following.

''What you didn't know is that it is the dark coven that all other dark covens go to for help or counsel. They were super powerful once upon a time. The fact that it's just us two left, gives us freaking royalty points, heck we're worshipped!'' Lizzie bragged.

''How do you know this?'' Josie asked confused.

''It seemed strange that you couldn't find anything and I couldn't find anything in the library, especially since our dad wrote most of these books and knows every book that is on the shelves of this place. So, I went into Dad's office and just started siphoning near the walls and cases, and yet again, unsurprisingly, I found tons of books on Dark covens.''

''We're not allowed to use dark magic on school grounds, so hiding books on anything related to it, makes since Lizzie.'' Josie tried to defend their father.

''Yes, Josette, it would, except you and I both know Dad brings this out in a few circumstances and entrusts it to our mutually loathed school chum, so she can use for whatever spell, that us ''little people'' apparently can't handle.''

''Point taken.'' Josie nodded. ''So, tell me how awesome we are.''

Lizzie smiled devilishly, and began filling in her sister.

While Lizzie was psyched to have so much influence and power under their disposal, claiming to even be more notable than Hope, whose only royalty came from a rotten bayou, that meant nothing after they cross the border of Louisiana, Josie remained cautious. While yes, these dark covens would be respectful of the girls and want to do whatever they asked, because of their position of being the only living Gemini Coven survivors of a horrible massacre, there were just as equally some dark covens that would use the girls in an instant, take advantage of their age and naivety, which would lead to more trouble than they were already were going to have.

''What exactly do you think we can say to these witches Lizzie? 'Oh, hey, we are resurrecting two Originals, but aren't powerful enough to do it by ourselves, can you help us?!' Great! Now they know were weak and can potentially over power us.''

''No.'' Lizzie said shaking her head.

''Yes!''

''No! Because if they worship us, they worship the Mikaelsons.''

''You don't know that.''

''Yes, I do. Look.'' Lizzie put down one of the Dark Coven books in her head and Josie saw a man, next to dark-skinned woman with black curls with another man standing beside her. In front of them were multiple women kneeling around a fire in a circle, with their hands joined together. ''Who are these people?''

''This is a sketch, but the passage says they are Klaus and Kol Mikaelson. Which makes since, seeing as how highly Kol places witches and this year matches the time when Kol wasn't in his coffin. Look Jo,'' Lizzie snapped the book shut, ''we are around a lot of people who dislike them and who have tried to kill them multiple times, our parents included, but that's here. There is an entire world out there, people who like them, who worship them, and who would jump to do them favors, just because, and out of the off chance they would one day return the favor.''

Lizzie saw Josie's eyes flash with understanding, and she pushed a little more for her to see her side of things.

''The coven we're going to go see is the Silver Coven. They are majorly loyal to the Original family and are one of the covens who were known to be allied with the Gemini's. They will help, I know, and we use them to ask questions, understand our spell, and to see if we end more help from other covens.''

''If we need more help?''

''With you and I, plus the Silver Coven's magic, the power of the full moon, and the sacrifice, Jo, this coven could be the only thing we need. I'm not going to have us going out and searching the world for Dark Covens. I promise.''

Josie sighed. Okay, so Lizzie's plan sounded sufficiently better than what she thought she had in mind. The dark coven they meet with review the spell, check it over, and would help with the spell, thereby helping them with the resurrection of Klaus and Elijah.

''Okay. Where is the coven located?''

X-x-X

If only everything could work out that fine.

You would think that the magic part of this plan would be the hardest, but no, it was the logistics and the execution that seemed to be the problem.

Problem 1: The Silver Coven was located in the remote corners near France. While the twins were in Virginia.

Problem 2: They were very much in school at the moment. Classes, clubs, and sports obligations to attend to. Attendance mandatory, and their made-up excuses too wary to try out.

Problem 3: In retrospect they probably should have started with this.

They were only _12 years old._

Two twelve-year old's that needed to get to France, leave a cushion time in place, in case any obstacles arise, and with their look, they can see a couple coming up. They needed to be back in this school before anyone notices they are gone. They had to not attract attention and travel discreetly. Even crossing roads by themselves or walking down a block was too risky. They girls were 12, but could easily pass as 10 or 11, noticeably not teenagers yet, and this world was filled with crazy disgusting people, and without the school to siphon from, how were they going to defend themselves.

And their father thought that the students in this school were the monsters. They have nothing on the humans of this world.

''Josie! We need to get something before we go.''

''Uhm Liz,'' Josie said from her spot hanging off the bed, ''we still have to figure out how were getting anywhere? When we're getting there, and how were getting back?'' Josie pointed out.

''Yes, but those questions mean nothing if we can't protect ourselves.''

Josie was on alert. ''From what, I thought you said this coven was the safest to contact.''

''I did, and they are, but we live in the supernatural world Jo, even the safest places hold risks, and we wouldn't be able to siphon anything to use just in case. You know I love being a witch, but this siphoner crap, leaves a lot of openings to get our ass kicked.'' Lizzie complained.

''I agree with that.'' Josei nodded, then was hit with an idea. ''We need to take some magic for the road.'' Josei said with an uncharacteristic smirk.

Lizzie narrowed her eyes. ''We can't bring the school with us.''

Josie shrugged her shoulders. ''No, but if only there was a place that held powerful magical artifacts that we could get our hands on and siphon from if we need to.'' Josie finished with a smirk.

Lizzie smiled. ''The town sweep Mom did when the troubles were gone. Where they found everything!''

Josie got excited. ''Exactly! All we have to do is grab something powerful, preferable small, turn it into a necklace or bracelet, and boom. Power for the road. Siphon what we need, and if the witches prove themselves trustworthy, I'm sure they would help with aiding us as well.''

Lizzie nodded, impressed. ''Look at you big sister. Okay, you snoop out the goody treasure, while I get some logistics and nip a book about location spells. I got an idea.'' Lizzie grinned.

A while later Josie was back in their room. The Salvatore School was huge, even back when it was just a boarding house, now with reconstruction and add-ons, it was massive. Which meant it was easy enough to add on secret tunnels and hide-always in the school, that the students couldn't find, and the grownups put in previsions for those just-in-case incidents. Well, easy if the student wasn't your daughter, who guessed that one of the passcodes to the secret room was the birthday of his dead wife, the twin's bio-mom, Josette.

Josie grabbed some pieces that were small in size and could be worn by or on the girls to give them the power they needed. Emily Bennett's revived amulet was amongst the pile. When Josie saw it is looked beaten and worn as if someone set it on fire. Using a spell, she learned from her Aunt Bonnie, she did a rejuvenation spell. It's supposed to bring good spirit or life back to which it once was. Not as severe as resurrection her aunt reminded, but more along the lines of a dead flower, or contaminated waters. It was worth a shot, so Josie performed the spell and swirled it around the four elements, and when she raised it from the water, the amulet looked as good as new, shiny, and Josie could feel the power coming off of it.

The next thing she brought back was a white oak stake. She knew the story for this, and she was wondering why her father has it, but didn't think she would want to know the answer, or how far their father's hatred went. Knowing that while wouldn't deter Josie from helping Lizzie and their Mom, but it would affect how she acted and what she tells her father in the future about her life, which she knows will most likely be spent half the time with their mother, and half the time with their father. She could easily cover the white oak stake in some kind of dark ash or tar to give the appearance it is black, and shrink it to the size of an animal tooth and wear it around their neck.

She found another necklace. Rebekah Mikaelson's that Stefan Salvatore gave to Elena then Gilbert. It wasn't a dark object, but it was packed with almost a thousand years' worth of magic, which could come in handy.

The last thing she brought was argumentatively the most powerful, but Josie didn't bring it to siphon in their journeys. It was crucial and a part of their plan that they forgot about, which was kind of stupid since they put it there in the first place.

''Okay, I'm back, sorry I'm late.'' Lizzie rushed in with her hands full, of...well Josie didn't know what.

''Uhm, Lizzie, I thought I was grabbing the magical objects.''

''You were! These are the logistics I was talking about and I think I figured a way around our traveling issue.''

''Well okay then, Team Forbes, making progress.'' Josie teased. ''Actually, really well progress.'' Josie said stunned.

Lizzie bounced up and down, ''I know! It's finally coming together. All that's unknown is how the talk with the witches will go, but I have faith. And just in case maybe I should take a literal chill pill before we go.''

''Lizzie!'' Josie giggled, trying to get her sisters attention back on track.

''Right! So, I know you were panicking about the witches' parlay, and I won't even suggest the 'you keep quiet, while I do the talking' angle, because no matter who talks, if they feed us a bunch of bull crap, who cares, so'', Lizzie pulled out the glowing ball from the black bag. The sphere was used to tell whether someone was lying or not, which came in handy with a school full of kids. It glowed red, when someone was lying, and blue, when they told the truth.

''We're bringing that with us?'' Josie questioned, looking at its size.

''We are going to shrink this to the size of a pea, solder it to a ring, that you will wear. That way we'll know that whatever they're telling us isn't a lie. Just play with your ring when they talk, or twist it to the inside of your hand and look at it, make sure they aren't playing us.''

Josie looked at Lizzie in amazement.

''Feel better about the whole thing?'' Lizzie asked her sister. Josie just smiled and gave her a hug.

Lizzie smiled back, ''okay next up, I did go and leaf through the books on locations, but I got distracted walking by the younger kids' playroom and they were watching Doctor Strange, and-''

''Lizzie.'' Josie groaned, not believing her sister got distracted by a movie, while they had more important things going on.

''Let me finish! Doctor Strange opens up portals that takes him from here to there, or anywhere he wants to go. That's what we need Josie! A portal! One that will open up and take us to the edge of France, and another to bring us back to our room, or at least a safe spot we can sneak back in! Don't you see!''

Josei nodded her head fast, trying to keep up with her sister. ''Okay okay, that actually could work, but so you have a spell? Do you know where?''

''Yea, so'', Lizzie dropped to the ground and moved their supplies out of the way, ''the map I have is only a decade old. With time, nature, and humanity, it's safe to say that the exact location where the coven resides is impossible to track down for us.'' Josie sighed discouraged. ''But, thankfully, much has changed in that region except for earth between spots. I predict maybe a mile hike, if that, but still easily enough to track down. Just because they're living out of the city, doesn't mean they're leaving in tents. They built actual cabins and houses out there.''

''Okay so good. Not bad.'' Josie said with more spirit. ''So, we can't pop up in front of them, but close enough. Okay, and for all we know, they find us first, and ask about us, giving us our in.''

''Correct!'' Lizzie exclaimed. ''And the whole Doctor Strange-ish spell isn't hard either. Basically, a locater spell but add the physical element. We need to locate us in this area. Put our blood on the map, add a couple of new words for our physical presence, and the map guides our bodies to the space we need to go.''

''I love magic.'' Josie said cheekily.

Lizzie giggled. ''So, what about you, what did you get us.'' Josie sobered up a bit, remembering what she needed to tell her sister. Josie pulled out the talisman, Rebekah's necklace, and the white oak stake, and explained how they were going to use it.

''What about the sword?''

''This isn't for siphoning to use for our magic, this is for, what I guess would be the final step of our plan.''

''The final step is we have them back.'' Lizzie stated matter of factly.

''Yes, but, Lizzie, they died with the Hollow inside them. We put it there, you know how powerful it is, who's to say that it won't still cling to them when they come back. The hollow needs an alive host, she's only gone, because they are, when her host are alive again? What then?''

Lizzie slapped her hand to her forehead and shut her eyes. ''How did we not think about this! Ugh!''

''I just got the thought when I was looking through the books you left behind, I said the name, and remembered.''

''Okay. We can fix this.'' Lizzie said, trying to calm down. ''Wait, what does that have to do with the sword?''

''So, I remembered before I went to go find extra magic, and I saw this sword, and remembered reading about it in Japanese magic. **It's a katana sword, spelled by an unknown witch with dark magic, that's capable of killing an oni-a supernatural demon ghost monster that has the ability to possess people through touching either voluntary or involuntary action. Once inhabiting a host, it makes them act crazy. The sword is imbued with a spell that will make it glow around other supernaturals. The sword is used to kill the specific oni, but it has been missing, or dead for a long time, so the sword just hasn't been used. **{wiki fandom}

''How are we going to use it?'' Lizzie asked quietly.

''I couldn't even touch the actual blade, it had so much black magic that it hurt, but I think it's that black magic that can purge the hollow from Klaus and Elijah and weaken it to-'' Josie paused.

''To what Jo?''

''To put in someone else, then kill them.'' Jo finished

Lizzie looked surprised. ''I know we said we weren't sacrificing innocents, and were not! We can find someone, or the witches can and then we can use the white oak to kill them. We will triple check that this person deserved death.'' Josie reassured her sister.

''I know, I never thought you would harm an innocent, Jo.''

''Okay. So that part is handled. What next? Uhm, that was it, except maybe, we should rethink adding people into the plan.''

''Why would we need to rethink that?''

''Maybe because while we know we're 100 percent going to get in trouble for this, we can hold off on that part. The longer Dad or Hope don't know, the best. I know you two dislike each other, but Hope wouldn't want you genuinely hurt or killed. If she thought we were in trouble, or in over our heads, she'd tell Dad.''

''Like the good little teacher's pet, she is.'' Lizzie muttered. ''Ugh! But I see your point. If Dad finds out sooner than he should, he could easily stop the plan. Whether by getting Hope to block us, or coming to the resurrection site, we can't let him get too close.''

''Well, I don't think we've ever said this before, but maybe for once Dad not noticing us at all may finally come in handy.'' Josie said. ''All we need to do, is have someone vouch that were out or doing something, or at the Mystic Grill or store or something. Anything that would tie us over for the later part of the evening. Dad never checks on us in the middle of the night, and rarely sees us off to bed, unless were in trouble.''

Lizzie stood back up to pace. ''We need to be back here in this room around 7-ish and tell everyone we're having an early night. That gives us 2 hours. The sun to set, the moon to start rising. Us getting the ritual together and double checking everything on our front. In the off chance someone does come by our room, we will need someone to distract them, lead them on a wild goose chase, and/or stall them until the moon is at its apex and we do what we need to do.''

''Oh, and we should take this.'' Josie grabs the barrier candle. ''It will keep out every supernatural and I can tweak the wax a bit, so it especially keeps out Hope.''

''And I can place this'', Lizzie goes and gets the Imprisonment Candle, that when lite, it doesn't let anyone out of its boundary, and the only one who can blow it out, is the one that lite it. ''This can go in Dad's office. Extreme maybe. But he would be safe, and if the off change that he sends Hope to do his dirty work, well, you have that covered.'' Lizzie smirked.

The twins went to Lizzies bed and fell back on it. ''Now, we have everything in place.'' Lizzie sighed, exhausted. ''Well besides our alibis.'' Josie interrupted.

''Nope.'' Lizzie sighed happily. ''I've got that covered. Now, let's close our eyes for a while, we deserve a nap. ''

The twins scooted back up on the bed and laid down. Their eyes closing almost immediately after the stressful day they have had. Not even feeling the presence of a spirit that had been with them all day, watching the two put their heads together and overcome obstacles of their plan. They truly were their mother's daughters.

_Clever girls._

X-x-X

Klaus stood looking in on the two twelve-year old's, with admiration and gratitude. They didn't know him very well to be doing this for him, but they still did it for their mother. _Loyalty._ The one major thing that attracted Klaus Mikaelson to the baby vampire in the first place, a trait she obviously passed down to her little girls.

Klaus was nervous. No matter how many obstacles the girls encountered, while they always came up with a solution, the actual execution was a big question mark, and no matter how lovely Elizabeth's optimistic nature was on the issue, it didn't settle Klaus' pessimism at all. The Silver Coven was loyal to the Mikaelsons, it was the others in the area that while loyal, still might need an incentive, or an IOU for them to get involved.

When he died there wasn't anything except darkness, which wasn't surprising, given the life he led. There was no Elijah, no Finn, no mother or father. Just him, alone, in darkness. To keep his mind off his loneliness, he thought of Hope, his sisters, his little brother Kol, now the only Mikaelson man in the world, he thought of Caroline. Then there was light, he saw them. Like a picture phone. Turning to each person in a second, fast. Klaus closed his eyes a focused on one person. He opened them, and saw Hope, dropping her bags in her room and sitting on her bed. He surmised she must have just come back from New Orleans. He focused on others as well, leaving his Caroline for last so he could linger, and stumbling on the twins and their planning.

Klaus wanted to come back so much. He didn't regret his decision in the slightest. Hope was his unconditional love, his heir, his daughter, he would do anything for her, as he proved by dying, he didn't regret it in the least. Caroline. _His sweet Caroline_. He saw her grieve, continually as well, and his heart broke. The heart she put together again, when he met her on that faithful night on her birthday. The day she made him feel. _His love._ The love he never told her she possessed. She knew. Oh, his lovely girl knew. She held his heart from the day they met, and he let her lead him all around that god-awful town with it. She knew he loved her, he just wishes he told her, because if Caroline Forbes didn't teach him anything else in their decade plus relationship, she taught him that while actions speak louder than words, words were still necessity and held power, sometimes people just need to hear it.

He understood. He wishes he would have said those three words to her, just as much as he wishes he was still alive to hear her say them back to him, and not to the air, drunk and comatose, thinking about them and all their lost time. He wishes he could comfort her, take her in his arms and tell her it was him, and that she was safe, and that he loved her. Gods did he love that little baby vampire.

Watching his love is how he happened upon the twins, sitting down on the stairs, their wide watery eyes on their mother watching her break. He saw them through every plan prep and annoyance, every little fib they told their teachers and class mates, every sibling squabble, and every fight with Hope.

Klaus sighed. He knew the twins weren't Hope's favorite people in the world, as he knew the twins weren't fond of his littlest wolf as well. Coming from himself, who seemed to be the root of all problems for his family, didn't particularly find it very troublesome though. Make no mistake, Caroline and the twins were his family, his separate from his other. He didn't really care if they _liked_ each other or not, as long as they _loved _each other and stood by Always and Forever. He didn't like his own siblings, though he loved them each and every one of them. The verdict was still out on his in-laws, though he tolerated Keelan tons more than the St. Claire girl. As he said, loyalty was important and the girl, while showed it unconditionally towards Kol himself, it has and would never be the family. Klaus could imagine the issues the girl would bring forth in the future. The Mikaelsons weren't known to have a very peaceful life.

Klaus and Caroline both refused to get in the middle of teenage squabble. Them having faith that they would work out their differences eventually. He figures they reached that agreement, because while both didn't like the arguments that their daughters got into, they each weren't blinded to their child's faults, and knew that they had a hand in their rivalry.

Klaus while didn't communicate with his daughter, still kept track of her. He knew around 10 that Hope closed herself off to everyone. Opting to be alone. Her belief that when your alone, and don't make connections, no one can hurt you, and it seemed that was all that could truly happen when you were a Mikaelson. The death of Jackson, Gia, Camille, Josh, and so many others most likely playing in her head, and her mother's death years later after that adding to the fuel. Add her temper, and the attitude that she no doubt got from her mother and/or auntie Bex and he knew his littlest wolf wouldn't be the ideal student to be around.

On top of all of that Klaus felt like it was a bit his fault, his families as well. Hope was the only one of her kind, a character trait that many of them have pushed in her mind from birth. That there was no one like her in the world and only she could do so many things. While a parent wants to make their child feel special, he thinks maybe they made her too special where she thinks that she wouldn't connect with anybody, or could be around anybody.

Elijah's ramblings and prophecies about her being their families hope, and reigning in his anger was another. Hope saw it as her mission in life to fix him. To fix this family, instead of being a normal girl, a child, and when it was clear that Hope was not the tool to help reign himself in, Elijah of course got discouraged, his family once again battling everything and his daughter feeling like a failure that she couldn't do the one thing that she was apparently born to do. A girl that was told to bring all factions together or cause the destruction of them, had done more of the latter than the former, and the latter was more done towards her family and city, who she'd loved more than all.

Caroline knew that something happened. She knew that the twins had tried to be friends with Hope when she was younger, and even accomplished it on some occasions, but the young tribrid never put in the effort. After a play date or study sessions, she locked herself off again and rather would be alone. Caroline while understood it, didn't agree with it, but she knew the family better than they knew themselves sometimes and she knew not to push. She also understood while the girls became stagnant as well, they weren't going to beg Hope to come and play or hangout with them, so they left her alone. Just saying hi when passing each other, or dropping off mail to her dorm if it came. They simple settled into acquaintances.

Until the twins turned 12. A few months in and it seemed Lizzie had a new enemy to focus her anger on, besides Penelope Park. Caroline didn't know who said what first, or who did what first, all she knew is that it took Caroline back to her middle school and high school days. While she absolutely adored that Lizzie was so much like her, in situations like these, she was too much like her mother. Human Caroline was cruel, and if she had a problem with someone, everyone had to have a problem with them. Lizzie was on the same wavelength. First with name-calling, then spells, then little barbs at appearances. Hope gave back as good as she got, and even sometimes managed to take the high road and just ignore Lizzie altogether, but her little firecracker would be heard, and did not like the tribrid dismissing her like she didn't matter.

Caroline blamed herself for that. She knew the girls were feeling neglected, she tried to talk to Rik multiple times about it, and the conversation always ended with a fight, and even wound up being switched on her for being away too long, even though Caroline reminded him multiple times that it was for work and the twins and not a vacation. It wasn't that Alaric wasn't paying attention to Josie or Lizzie, and just focusing on himself or a girlfriend, it was the fact that all the attention and nurturing and guidance was being used for someone else. Hope. Which added fuel to Lizzie's already growing hatred.

Caroline knew that Alaric took over to be a guiding person in Hope's life while her family was away. That was okay. Caroline herself picked up the slack more so when Hope was young and Haley was away more times than none. The problem with Alaric is that his guidance quickly led to straight favoritism that even the students can see, not to mention those ignorant townies could see. That wasn't okay, and it didn't help matters.

Klaus and Caroline didn't want to get involved in that. They would give them time, but they knew one day they would have to sit them down and lay all the cards out, but they hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Or at least, that's what would have happened if he had still been alive.

Klaus saw the argument Lizzie and Hope had in the hall, and he was upset at Lizzie for her harsh words, an unfortunate pass down she no doubt got from her mother, the hybrid remembering some harsh words Caroline used to throw at him, but that didn't mean he approved of them, but he knew where it stemmed from in Lizzie's place, and while Caroline may have acted like it on multiple occasions, he never called her out of her name of a female dog.

''These teenage girls are going to drive me absolutely mad.'' He muttered out loud.

''Indeed, they will, but I'm sure their mother can easily help with that.'' A voice sounded beside him.

Klaus whipped around fast.

''Brother.''

Elijah smiled. ''I am a bit upset with you. After all these years together, I have been searching for your happiness, and I admit that I was wrong to place all this on Hope's shoulders to the point where she felt like a disappointment.'' Elijah paused then looked at his brother. ''But if I had known Ms. Forbes was what makes you happy and more pleasant'', Elijah chuckled, ''I would have helped you.''

Klaus sighed. ''That's what I was afraid of. You weren't alone in the weight you put on Hope, we all added to it, even giving her that name, but Caroline is different. She never thought that was the right thing to do. She said children aren't put on this earth to better their parents, it wasn't their job to take care of them, that's why she was a bit short with you, when you two spoke.'' Klaus mentioned flippantly.

''Caroline while hasn't interacted with you much Elijah, she has heard and seen quite a bit from different sources including our siblings. She knows how you work, and she would not be kind nor responsive to you using her as a tool to better me. She would give you quite a good ribbing if she caught even a whiff of your misleading's.''

''I'll take that into consideration.''

Klaus smirked. ''Plus, she doesn't think I need redemption. She loves me how I am, how I was. If the Klaus Mikaelson that first came to Mystic Falls was such a monster, you might want to rethink helping me, because that's the version of myself she first fell in love with.''

''That's because you showed her a different side than the rest of the residents didn't see. Even us, your family.''

''Well I wasn't trying to woo you lot, you were already stuck with me. I was trying to woo her.'' Klaus rolled his eyes. Elijah turned to look at his brother who seemed to be lost in a memory. ''Actually, when I first set my sights on her, she called me out on my behavior and then threw my birthday present I gave her back in my face.'' Klaus chuckled.

Elijah smiled. ''I'm liking this woman more and more by the minute.''

Klaus hmmed. ''And what of her off springs.''

''Your _step-_daughters.'' Elijah smirked

''Yes, my _daughters''._ Klaus corrected and smirked back.

''They are only 12, whatever unsavory behavior ticks they have now, I'm sure under our tutelage they will grow out of.'' Elijah said while he was straitening his cufflinks, obviously referring to their spats with Hope. ''Aside from that however, the mere fact that they are attempting this says much about their character, strength, and perseverance in the face of obstacles, and that they would go very far for family. Not by birth, but very much a Mikaelson.'' Elijah nodded. Klaus looked proud. ''I don't know what about the Saltzman fault however'', Elijah shuddered, ''I don't see much of that, thank goodness. No god complexes or human morality speeches.''

Klaus chuckled. ''That's because they are Forbes.'' Klaus slapped a hand on his brothers back and led him back around. ''Let's let them sleep, for when they wake, they shall move mountains.''

X-x-X

Josie rolled over with a yawn, hearing Lizzie going through her drawers. ''What are doing?'' She asked rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

''Looking for that Marvel Shirt with the superheroes on it. The gray graphite T-shirt. You see it?''

''Since when do you wear superhero shirts?'' Josie asked, climbing out of the bed and getting her own clothes together.

Lizzie came out of the bathroom with her T-shirt on, stopping right above her denim destressed shorts, paired with her gray Chuck Taylor high-tops converse. Her hair curled to the T. Her mother would be proud. ''Since we have a favor to ask.'' Lizzie grinned

The twins knocked on the door.

''Hi!'' Lizzie said excited.

''Hey pretty girl!'' MG said back with amusement at the happy blonde.

''Who there?'' Kaleb came in behind him, ''ah, I should've known. Lizzie is the only one that can put that smile on your face. What ya'll trouble makers want?'' He asked turning around to go lay back on his bed.

Kaleb and MG were the youngest vampires in the Salvatore School, enrolling within months of each other. Both allegedly turned by a malicious vampire who thought it would be funny to turn children into the bumps of the nights. The twins didn't know why, but the boys were still aging. It would stop at around 16-17 years, 19 if their lucky, it was because of that the boys adjusted well. They would have been a complete mess if they would have to look 13 their whole eternal life, while they grow old and wise mentally and emotionally. Their parents felt significantly better than the alternative as well.

''Come on in ladies.'' MG opened the door and let them walk through, before shutting it. ''What do you need?'' MG asked.

''A favor.'' Lizzie replied

''Anything.'' MG shot back quick.

''I'm glad you phrased it that way.'' Josie interrupted.

''Wait a sec, maybe not.'' MG backtracked.

''MG its big. Like super big. You won't be in harm's way, but we need you to cover for us. By extinction Kaleb too.''

''Woah, what have you too gotten yourselves into?'' Kaleb asked nervously getting up from his bed.

The twins looked at each other and then opened their mouths to explain.

''Hold on, hold on, hold on. How the hell are ya'll going to pull this off!'' Kaleb exclaimed.

''This sounds dangerous Lizzie.'' MG looked at her worried.

''Our entire lives are dangerous MG.'' Lizzie looked at him, hoping to get him to understand, ''but at least were doing this for our Mom, who has done multiple dangerous things for everyone else.''

''Our plan is good, you have to admit that, we just need an alibi.'' Josie intersected.

''So, basically all we have to do is tell whoever asked-''

''If they ask.'' Lizzie interrupted

''That you guys are somewhere around town, or sneaking off into the woods, or something like that.''

''Yes. Just in case we need to be accounted for. Someone has to know where we are, if they bother to care.''

''We care.'' Kaleb and MG said at the same time.

''You're my boyfriend, and he's your best friend/brother, you happy, makes him happy, so while that's sweet, it doesn't count.'' Lizzie sighed.

Silence.

Crickets.

''Wait what!'' Josie exclaimed jumping up from Kaleb's desk chair. ''How!? When!? You know what, I don't even care, I'm so happy!'' Josie pulled them both in a three-way hug. ''You knew?'' Josie whirled around to Kaleb who was watching the scene with a smile.

''Yea, I live with him. You should have seen him walking in here on cloud 9.'' Kaleb chuckled. MG started to blush and held his head down, before he felt a pair of soft lips touch his cheek, looking up Lizzie gave him a smile and put her arms around his neck, MG reflexively put his on her waist.

''Please.'' Lizzie asked. ''You didn't see her that night, she was a wreak. This would make her so happy, and all of us! I don't see it, or get it, but Hope is your friend, she has her Dad back. Klaus will make Mom happy, and you guys like our Mom, right?'' Lizzie turns her head to look at Kaleb.

''We love Ms. C. You know that?''

''So, yea, and with him here, he is a benefactor of this school, one of our largest.'' Lizzie said mischievously. MG bumped his forehead against Lizzies, ''I know that smile'', MG narrowed his eyes at her, ''what does him being a benefactor mean?''

''Well'', Lizzie's eyes got big, trying to convey innocence, ''he would have a say in school matters. If he thought something needed to be changed, added on, vampires drinking human blood, instead of bunny blood.'' Lizzie finished trailing off.

''I'm in.'' Kaleb jumped.

MG pulled back, ''Liz, I don't think-''

''MG your control is getting better. You have great control of it-'' Lizzie tried to comfort him

''Yea, until I don't, and everyone starts calling me the Ripper of Mystic Falls.'' MG complained.

''Yes, but this school was built to help you with that. The rules are for you guys to only drink bunny blood is setting you up to fail. So, you guys go through all this trouble to gain control, but as soon as you go out into the outside world, and someone scrapes a knee, or cuts their hand, and you smell human blood, that control goes out the window. You don't know how you can control yourself from it, because you were never exposed to it. Better to do it at a loving and protective school that won't give up on you, than in the real world, where someone can stake you.'' Lizzie reasoned.

Kaleb clapped his hands. ''Thank you! Thank you! From a witch no less! She gets it! See, MG that was what I've been trying to get you to understand.''

MG looked hesitant. ''Okay, well, yea, I get what you're saying.'' MG looked up at Kaleb, ''Both of you. I'll help because I care about Ms. C, and I care about you, troublemaker.'' MG bumped his shoulder into Lizzie's. ''I do however, want you to text us, as soon as you get to the location, leave, and on to the next. We can't be there with you during the resurrection, but we'll be waiting here when you get back.''

Lizzie gave him a kiss and a hug. ''Thank you, MG! Lizzie turned to Kaleb, and you too.''

MG looked down at her T-shirt and smirked. ''Did you wear this shirt to get me to agree to help you?''

Lizzie sat up straight and turned sideways back and forth, showing her T-shirt off. ''I thought it would ''help.

MG rolled his eyes with a smile. ''Yea, like I would ever tell you no. ''

X-x-X

''What are you guys up to?'' Hope demanded while intersecting MG and Kaleb while they were walking to the blood cooler in the kitchen.

''Uh, excuse me Little Red, I got an appetite to nourish.'' Kaleb slid passed easily, not bothering to even look in the young girls' eyes. Kaleb opened the fridge and threw a bag at MG.

''We're hungry. I didn't know that was a crime.'' MG shrugged his shoulders.

''Yea, well I was passing by the drill team and I didn't see them anywhere, in fact, Zoe Richards was leading the team. I was expecting Lizzie to come out of anywhere and go completely crazy and-''

''Don't call her that.'' MG interrupted calmly.

''It's a figure of speech.''

''Not when they have an actual issue with it. Overstepping Mikaelson. There are lines that can't be crossed. Your tiptoeing it.'' Kaleb eyed the girl seriously.

''Like Lizzie doesn't cross lines with everyone else.'' Hope scoffed, but took what Kaleb said seriously, knowing she was being petty. The words Lizzie spoke to her that morning still playing in her head, on repeat. The worst part was that everything she said was true.

''The only person she crossed a line with was you. Whacking on someone's character or appearance was different. She called you an orphan, which technically, no offense, you are.'' Kaleb told her.

''Oh, so I'm a horrible person and Lizzie gets off scot free because she only called it like it is and didn't name-call me about my height or lack of fashion sense.''

''You just said it.'' MG said throwing his blood bag away, not really wanting to hear Hope trash-talk his girlfriend. ''Lizzie insults people's appearances, she took stabs at you, why don't you ask yourself why does she cross lines with you.''

''I don't know!'' Hope exclaimed, upset MG, always nice and understanding MG, was making her out to be the bad guy.

''Do you know?'' Kaleb asked MG, raising his eyebrows.

''Possibly.'' MG shrugged.

''Well, don't leave me in suspense!'' Hope exclaimed upset and wanted to know when her and the twin's relationship took a turn. Not really a relationship, but they used to at least be civil. Passing by and saying hi, goodnights to each other, teaming up to work on assignments, all that changed this year.

''You know it's funny.'' MG started. ''I truly don't think you said it, but with how many times you like to drop the 'crazy' word, I'm not sure.''

''What are you talk-''

''Lizzie has had a bad few months this year.''

Hope scoffed, ''Yea, I know-''. Then she stopped. She knew what he was talking about. Everyone did. Lizzie's magic went haywire a few months back, ruining half the school, lighting the forest on fire, and trashing her and Josie's room. Apparently, it took her an hour to cool down, and then Ms. Caroline came back from whatever recruitment she was on, and her and Lizzie went away for a few weeks. When they came back, Lizzie was all over the place, but still essentially the same person. A certain word was being tossed around about her, and while Hope never defended Lizzie, she also didn't...

''Wait a second. You think-''

''I don't think anything.'' MG shook his head, walking out of the room, or trying to before Hope blocked him.

''Well she thinks I said that. That I called her _witch bipolar._'' Hope asked shocked.

Kaleb's mouth dropped. ''Damn, that's cold.''

''I would never do that!''

''To play devil's advocate here, let me see if I got this right. Well, the fact is she thinks you did, and your very quick to jump in arguments and for someone who doesn't like them very much and it's a known fact to everyone here, you're wondering about them now, because...?'' Kaleb left the question open-ended.

''Believe it or not, just because I'm not very social, doesn't mean I don't care.'' Hope said sternly.

Kaleb chuckled. ''We can't tell.''

''In the off chance that they are off by themselves doing something, something they weren't supposed to do, I honestly just wanted to make sure they were okay. They are Dr. Saltzman's daughters, and Caroline has always been there for me, no questions asked, the least I can do is discretely look out for them if they get into something stupid.'' Hope said softly.

''And tell Dr. Saltzman.'' Kaleb deadpanned.

''If it's dangerous? Of course. Lizzie is always pushing boundaries with spells something can happen.'' Hope explained.

''Yet, you do it all the time without consequences.'' Hope opened her mouth to defend herself, probably with the usual, 'I'm a tribrid argument, but the vampire cut her off. ''Well'', Kaleb slammed his hands on the counter, ''they're fine. Popped into town to get junk food. Lizzie is testing Zoe to see if she can crack it as her second.''

MG had his head down so the two wouldn't see, but he smiled at the excuse Kaleb used. Very believable.

Kaleb and Lizzie weren't best friends but there was a mutual respect and appreciation there that stemmed from their relationship with MG. They we're both part of the same group and looked out for each other. Lizzie knew she could ask him for a favor and vice versa, but they never hung out, just them two. He'd actually seen Josie and Kaleb hang out more than with her twin. So, the fact that just because their interactions were manly with the group and none with them solo, and still Kaleb knew Lizzie enough to come up with a believable lie, made MG smile. Call him sentimental, but Kaleb became family, his brother, and the person he would be walking the long road of eternity with. He didn't voice it much, but It was important to him that Kaleb and Lizzie get along or at the very least were civil.

''Oh'', Hope said softly. ''Okay.'' The boys started walking off.

''So that's why things turned sour for me and them. Someone told Lizzie I said that about her?'' Hope asked again to clarify.

MG sighed and nodded his head.

''Okay, so all I have to do is tell her that's a lie, and then-''

''You guys can go back to the way things were. No offense Hope, but the way you guys were, weren't exactly friendship goals either. Everything Lizzie said this morning stands, just not with the attitude. You don't want friendships.''

''What happened this morning?'' Kaleb asked. MG just gave a tired shrug and a look, which Kaleb interpreted as the 'usual Lizzie-Hope arguments' that started becoming notorious at this school. Well, second to 'Lizzie-Alyssa' arguments, and third to 'Lizzie-Penelope arguments'.

''You're my friend.''

MG nodded, but for some reason the confirmation wasn't comforting at all.

''Yea, I am your friend, but you're not mine, and I think all the students around here would say the same thing about you. See ya Hope.'' MG gave a sympathetic smile.

Leaving Hope standing in the kitchen. Alone. Story of her life.

X-x-X

The twins came back from their trip to the 'store'. Really, the twins went to the resurrection spot. Feeling things out, putting down essence and their magical placement, to ward off any unwanted spirits or witches trying to mess around the forest. They tested out the candles and their ranges and marked off the road to not use their spot.

Making their way back into the school, the twins opened their door. Lizzie was asking Josie to text the boys they were back when she heard her name being yelled. Turning around she saw Hope.

''Movie night?'' Hope asked pointing to the bags, holding what Hope thought was junk food and not magical instruments.

''Uhm, yea, texting the boys as we speak.'' Lizzie rushed out.

''Yea, they told me.'' Hope muttered.

''What are you-''

''I was wondering if-''

They both started talking at once.

''Just five minutes.'' Hope asked.

If it weren't for the serious and soft tone of her voice and the friendly vibe she was giving, Lizzie would have slammed the door in her face, but since it seemed like this wouldn't be another argument like before, Lizzie nodded and they went to sit on the chairs at the end of the hall in front of the windows.

''What's up Mikaelson.'' Lizzie asked huffing, folding her arms over her chest.

''If you really thought I said all those things about you, then you hating me for almost the whole year makes since, but with a father and grandfather like mine, I'm probably not immune to those issues myself. It's not something I take lightly, and I would never make fun of you for it.''

Lizzie paused. She knew the rumors behind her episode and the nickname that she now has besides ''mean girl'', what she didn't understand was how Hope knew what Lizzie thought of her and how she knew Lizzie blamed her for her decline in superiority for those short two months. Except for...

''MG told you.'' Lizzie sighed.

''Not intentionally really. I was talking too much, Kaleb and MG defended you, then asked me some hard questions that I answered. He just answered back, and thought that maybe if I knew, we could settle everything.''

Lizzie nodded.

''I understand everything you said this morning. I know that. 7 years at this school and I have nothing to show for it. I know I'm grieving, but your right, that doesn't excuse the last 6. I do want to try. It would be nice to make some friends to make up for the all the family I don't have anymore.''

''I get it.'' Lizzie said. ''And I believe you.'' She whispered afterwards.

Hope shot her head up surprised, but relived. ''What I don't get though is why anyone would accuse me of saying that. Who did you hear it from? Do you think it's because I-?''

''Because you don't interact with anyone? Yes. They probably didn't expect this to happen. For me to fact-check and question you, which is right, if you didn't come to me right now, I probably never would have.''

''And I heard through the grapevine from Penelope.'' Lizzie added.

Hope nodded. ''Makes since. She knows you and Josie well. How you handle confrontations. It would never get back to her, and if you were busy coming after me, Josie would focus on someone you hate less, and less on me.''

Lizzie smirked. ''You knew about the crush.''

Hope nodded and blushed. ''Yeah, I was flattered, but everyone knows its Josie and Penelope all the way, I was just a distraction while Penelope went to visit her parents and it went away as soon as Park came back. Josie and I hadn't really talked since.''

Lizzie nodded agreeing. ''Devious, cunning, and well planned. A one of a kind Penelope Park operation. Ugh, I hate her.'' Lizzie rolled her eyes.

''More than you hate me?''

There was a silence that followed. Lizzie truly hated Hope for a while for what she thought the girl said about her, but since that wasn't true, what exactly did Lizzie have to hate Hope for. Yes, the attention Alaric gives her, but that was as much her Dads fault as Hopes. Alaric didn't have to seek out the tribrid instead of his daughters. Hope was antisocial, but again she had her reasons. Maybe not what Lizzie would call acceptable, but they were real reasons to Hope.

Plus, a tad of guilt, Hope was under the impression that she lost her family forever. While the loss was true, if Lizzie and Josie pulled it off, then it wouldn't be forever. Add in to the fact that the three would be step sisters before long, carrying on the grudge and getting in the way of her mother and Hope's father, would just cause an obstacle that was unnecessary.

''Yes, definitely...considering I don't hate you anymore.'' Lizzie responded.

Hope looked up. ''So... trying to be friends?'' Hope questioned.

''The best.'' Lizzie nodded.

Lizzie got up to go back into her room with Josie. ''Hey Hope?'' Hope looked up at the younger girl. ''You won't feel alone for too long. Multiple people will walk into your life and you'll lose that feeling.''

It was the closest Lizzie could say without feeling like a liar or a con. Not wanting to give false hope, but hopefully letting Hope know that she wouldn't be alone even if they don't manage to pull this off.

Hope smiled. ''That was probably the nicest thing you ever said to me. Thanks Lizzie. ''

Lizzie nodded and went back to her room. Josie was there waiting with the map and gear needed. ''I laid some hiking clothes on the bed for you. Get dressed, the Siler Coven is waiting for us.'' Josie said excited and anxious at the same time.

Lizzie looked confused, but did what Josie said. Apparently, Josie wasn't too excited by walking into unknown territory, and neither was MG. He suggested If they could communicate from here. Obviously not from phone but maybe from mail, like the witch mail they sent Hope in New Orleans when Hope's mother died. Josie wrapped her arms around her best friend calling him a genius. Josie contacted the Coven, kept it short and sweet. Stating their name, the Gemini Coven, their mother Caroline Forbes, and the school they frequented. They received, thankfully, a friendly, if not, cautions reply back, telling the girls to redirect their location spell and meet them near one of the Coven leaders houses instead and meat a woman name Juliette Marquise.

''You guys are my super heroes.'' Lizzie exclaimed to Josie and over the phone with MG and Kaleb as they were about to hang up and complete the spell.

Grabbing Josie's hand, with each of them holding on to the ends of the map, with their magic in place and bookbags on their backs, the girls closed their eyes.

''Hello sherries, we've been expecting you.''

The twins gasped and opened their eyes.

''Not what you were expecting?'' The older woman smirked.

Around the twins was a ritzy cabin life, if that made sense, with flowers and stonewalls. Vines up and around the walls and pathways, cabins somehow organized, yet scattered, all over the woods. Lawns of green filled with dandelions and creeks with the bluest waters.

''If by that you mean more Munchkin Land meets the Secret Garden than the Underworld than yea.'' Lizzie stated shocked.

''Lizzie!'' Josie scolded.

The older woman waved her hand. ''She speaks the truth. We value that here, come. If you didn't put it together, I'm Juliette. Just because we practice black magic and the dark arts doesn't mean we have to live in darkness. The magic just gives us more power and flexibility for our spells, not to mention way of life.''

''Really?'' Josie said fascinated. Their Dad was always strict with Black Magic. Hope herself gets in trouble for using it, and she doesn't get in trouble for anything. He made it seem like it was a death sentence that couldn't be avoided. ''Our Dad has a rule at school, we're not allowed to use it, he says it gets into our heads, and infects our hearts. Then we're lost for good.''

''Well that rule obviously means little to you too, since you're here, and have already been dabbling in it. Also, that only applies to some witches and it truly depends on the witch. Not to mention external factors, and triggers in one's life. Your young, but you should know magic isn't simple, and that there's-'',

''Always a loophole.'' Josie and Lizzie responded together.

Juliette smiled. ''Great. With those basics down, this should be an easy talk. Come. ''

The twins walked into Juliette's cottage. The beauty on the outside seeming drab to the breathtaking picturesque home on the inside. Without the plants and the dirt, somehow Juliette brought nature inside her home with warm brown and green tones. Yellow accents and little discolored patterned knack knacks for that one of a kind feeling. Wooded appliances and the comfiest couch the twins have ever sat on.

''I could sleep for years.'' Lizzie deadpanned.

Juliette laughed at the blunt twin. ''The newest addition in here, actually. Family came to visit and someone had to take the couch, and outright refused to sleep on the pull-out bed of my old lumpy thing. Ever the gracious host and sister I am, voila!'' Juliette waved her hands to the couch.

''Who needs to sleep on a bed with this?'' Lizzie leaned back in the couch and waved her arms out.

Juliette smiled amused. ''Would you like to compare the two?''

Lizzie popped her head up and raised an eyebrow, actually contemplating the offer.

''No, she wouldn't.'' Josie interjected giving wide eyes to her sister. Lizzie taking the hint, sighed and sat up straight, sitting her bag on the ground and giving her witch in front of her their full attention.

''Down to business I see.'' Juliette smirked. ''Well firstly, I'm assuming you're here for help, yes? ''

''Assistance.''

''Aiding with a simple spell.'' The twins said at the same time.

Juliette raises an eyebrow. ''Uh-huh, would you guys like a moment to get your thoughts and plans together then we can continue this conversation.''

''No. That won't be necessary.'' Josie held her hand up. ''I don't want to assume, but if you haven't heard, two of the members of the Original Family died the other day. My sister and I would very much like to bring them back. Klaus Mikaelson is the only cure we have for a werewolf bite and he was a big asset to have in our school, not just as a donor. Mystic Falls, our school location, will never be a complete safe place and having a full proof plan would do wonders for the protection of the students and the assurance of the parents. Before he died Klaus Mikaelson offered a lot of support for us and our school and we would love to return the favor.''

Lizzie sat quietly listening to her sister speak. Everything she said while _technically_ true, it wasn't the _real_ reason for this visit, but Lizzie understood. They couldn't blurt out the real reason for their visit and the connection Klaus had with their mother and family, or even Hope. _Especially Hope._ While the school knew who she was and the whole of New Orleans, the existence of the youngest Mikaelson was still hush hush to the rest of the world. Something that the girls knew was a reprieve for the Mikaelsons who had thousands of years of enemies.

''So, we have the spell and the tools we need for it. We know the components of the spell, back-up plan to keep any supernaturals out nearby, and the location. What we are her for is if there is any way you maybe want to assist on the spell with us, or more or less look over the blueprints for it and see if we can actually pull this off, and not hurt either the Mikaelsons or ourselves in the process.'' Lizzie interjected, trying to move the conversation along so the witch wouldn't question Josie's reasoning behind the resurrection.

''What about Elijah. What does he have to do with the rest of this sherries?''

''Nothing really.'' Lizzie responded. Josie explained further. ''We just figured they died together; they should come back together. Who knows what Klaus would do without his brother, the more stable he is, the better? Less troubles.''

''My coven goes a long way back darlings. We have always helped the Originals in any capacity. Kol Mikaelson especially has been helpful throughout the ages for my people. We try to repay the service, and for the most part they respect our exclusiveness from other covens and keep our silence.''

''Are you guys so secluded because you do black magic?'' Josie asked curiously.

''Yes and no. Like I said, black magic like anything out of the norm get a bad name. It honestly depends on the witch; some witches can wield it better. Usually the ones who were born from it, with dark covens' magic running through the veins.'' She gave a meaningful look to the twins. ''While black magic withes are known to do atrocious things and I am not leaving myself out in that arch, they do it easily. More easily than the witches that are trying to stop the madness. Not saying it is right, just easier.''

''Then why do most black magic users lose control? Lizzie asked thinking of herself.

''Just because it comes easier doesn't mean, just like with everything else, it doesn't require practice. Just less practice than the average. Once you accept the magic, accept yourself, accept the protentional, it makes life much easier. Then again, actually having lived and know yourself inside and out helps.''

''So, when you become an adult.''

''So-so. Yes. I've encountered very powerful teenagers, who weave black magic easily as well. Remember sherries, the evil is in the act, not the person and not everything is black and white. Reasonings and actions play a hand in everything. Speaking of powerful teenagers.'' Juliette looked up and smiled at the girl walking through the door. She had blonde tight curls that ran wild around on top of her head and the most beautiful vibrant green eyes Josie had ever seen. For someone who has such powerful dark magic in her veins, she was the brightest thing Josie had ever seen.

She wore a black biker jacket with a pink colored shirt underneath, tucked into a tight pair of black jeans and studded black boots. She dressed sort of how Hope does, who mimicked hers from her mother, Haley. Except while Hope sneered away anything too feminine and girly: colors, bows, or makeup. The girl accessorized with it. From her pink shirt, to her matching nail polish, there was a bow tied to her wrist acting like a bracelet. Equal parts girly, and bad-ass. Perfectly.

''I love your outfit.'' Lizzie, ever the fashionista, as Caroline would say, while didn't take too much notice of the girl, fortunately in Josie's case, looked like she was in love with her outfit.

''Thanks. I like your hiking outfit too.'' She looked at Lizzie, deflating Josie's once high mood.

''Elizabeth, Josette, this is Jamie Doe. Jamie these are the last two remaining Gemini Coven witches, as well as Caroline Forbes daughters.''

''Pleased to meet you. I love your Mom, and the Gemini Coven is one of the first dark magic covens.'' Jamie shook both girls hand.

Lizzie preened at the notice of her heritage.

''Well it seems like you aren't too bad yourself, seeing as your being invited to this little pow-wow.''

''Lizzie.'' Josie scolded quietly.

''Well, who could pass up on the oh so lovely company.'' Jamie rolled her eyes and chuckled at the blonde, while looking at the fidgeting brunette beside her.

Josie lifted her head to apologize for her sister's rude remarks, in the girls own coven and turf, no less, put paused when she realized Jamie was already looking at her.

Jamie smiled at Josie, and Josie smiled back.

''Well, it's not like you were here for the start of this-'', Lizzie started in on her, not liking the implication the curly haired witch was insinuating.

''Tell you what Eliz-''

''It's Lizzie.''

''You give me a moment to catch up on your little pow-wow and have a moment with your pretty sister, and you'', Jamie took off her jacket, ''can have my jacket.''

Lizzie's eyes lit up and she made gimmie hands towards the jacket. ''Call me L.'' Lizzie smiled wide.

''Call me JD.'' Jamie chuckled.

Lizzie went to the bathroom on the side and tried on her jacket and looked at herself in the mirror.

''Your Josette?'' JD questioned moving to sit back down.

''Josie.'' She corrected, following the blonde to the couch. ''I'm 12, what about you.''

''13. You go to the Salvatore School; your Mom talks about you guys all the time.''

''How do you know my Mom? ''

''Caroline visits us all the time. She is in France a lot, visiting friends and talking with the supernaturals around here. Expanding alliances, offering and receiving favors, your mother has become quite the big deal over the last decade.''

Josie smiled, proud of her Mom. She loved school and the dream her parents thought of when the idea of the school took shape. She didn't like or dislike Mystic Falls either. It was just the only place she knew. Sure, she visited her Mom, but because of her age, according to her Dad, her visits were always short. A few days or a week at most. Not nearly enough time with her mother or to explore. Josie didn't want to cause chaos like Lizzie with complaining, so she just took it like it is, but if she was being honest of herself, which she rarely is, she would love to explore France with her mother more. With JD.

''I'm glad. Mom deserves some adventure in her life.'' Josie laughed.

''Well you all are about to go on an adventure for sure. If the model is done with her runway show.'' Juliette talked towards the bathroom for Lizzie, waiting for the blonde to come out.

''Do you know why your coven is so sacred to dark covens in the world?'' Juliette asks, filling up tea cups.

''Because we can wield black magic easier and have more power than other covens considering we can take their power for ourselves. No offense of course.'' Josie said not meaning to offend anyone.

''True. Yes.'' Juliette waved her concerns away. ''It's also because you're the only coven to decline naturally and consistently in size. All that powerful magic and every 22 years it goes down by one.''

''Decline?'' Lizzie raised an eyebrow.

''I'm assuming your parents haven't told you about the Merge yet?''

''Merge?'' Josie and Lizzie said at the same time.

XxX

''Okay.'' Lizzie took a sip of water and started pacing back and forth, well more like continuing since she was told she would/could kill her sister on their 22nd birthday.

''So, no one was gonna tell us? Mom? Dad? We would just be caught off guard?!''

''Your mother has been traveling and trying to find a way around it.'' JD interrupted. ''She's gotten leeway a bit and figured out how to interrupt it without you two coming to harm or any other way.''

''The recruitment missions? Is that what those are about?'' Josie asks JD, who nods.

''Yes. Well, she does recruit us to come to school there, she also looks for ways around the Merge too.''

''Okay, were getting off track.'' Lizzie interrupted them clapping her hands, getting surprised looks from the room. ''You're hitting us with a lot of information, that we obviously know nothing about, and our parents hid form us. We didn't come here for that though. We're here for the resurrection. Everything else, we can come back for, or ask our parents, who are in a world of hurt for all of this.''

Josie nodded reluctantly and Juliette looked out in admiration. ''Good. Compartmentalization. Comes in handy with our kind.''

''Your sacrifice. Order and equality must be obtained when bringing back a thousand years' worth of magic. There are a few ways to do this. Two people to bring back, two people to die. Though judging by your look, that's not an option for you. The other requires more time. It requires an equality of some kind. A balance of two out of three abstractions of life: Love, Time, and Death.''

''So, we have to find something that equals the Mikaelsons worth in love, time or death? I don't get it.'' Lizzie admits, which shows that she was serious about this. Lizzie never admitted to not knowing something. She was the families Mrs.-Know-It-All.

''If you're going the death route, you have to pair it with time. Pick someone that died around the same time your resurrecting him. Think of it as a charge up. The resurrection is easier, a person whose magic has settled more, and you aren't immediately overwhelmed with their essence. You resurrect the two people around the same time and then do your spell for the Originals. The charge up will make the transition simpler and the spells will just blend together. Final thing is a bit more personal and difficult.''

The twins looked uneasy. ''Personal to us?'' Lizzie checked.

''What do you know about your mother's history?'' Juliette asked. ''Supernatural that is.''

''She became a vampire when she was 17. Katherine smothered her with a pillow. She stayed in Mystic Falls up until about 2 years ago when she started traveling. Before that we lived for a brief time in Texas when we were toddlers.'' Josie said.

Juliette nodded slowly and JD furrowed her brows. Josie thought they were missing something, but throughout their visit she kept fiddling with the truth ring, and so far, neither Juliette or JD had been lying to them about anything.

''That's it?'' JD asked.

''Well if were missing something, now would be a great time to fill us in, since our necks are the ones on the line. Anything to make this easier!'' Lizzie asked anxious now with the cryptic answers.

''Forbes are known for being vampire hunters. Your grandfather, Caroline's father was a well-known one. One of the best to come from his line. Now most of the line came from Mystic Falls, they knew all about vampires and made it their mission to kill them, some of them however were an entire supernatural entity to begin with, but their need to kill was the same.''

''Mom was a witch?'' Josie asked unsure, not believing that entirely.

''No.'' Lizzie whispered with realization. ''She was a wolf.''

Juliette nodded. ''She became a vampire before she activated the change. My understanding is that everyone was being made aware of the supernaturals at the same time when your mother was turned. Most of the world still don't think werewolves are real. Especially in a town of young inactivated supernatural.''

''So, if Mom became a vampire before she could activate the gene, what good does that information do for us now.'' Lizzie asked confused.

''Sacrifice isn't always a physical entity. True sacrifice is based on the ripping out of something precious and laying it at the feet of those we hold for worth. In the old days' animals, the bigger ones, were considered precious, they fed more people. Which is why those types of animals: bison, deer, lion became sacrifices to their gods. In this day and age people find people precious, irreplaceable, which is true, which is why that is always the way people's minds work when hearing the word sacrifice.'' JD explained

Juliette looked at her pupil with pride, while the twins looked on, understanding, and also surprised and envious. JD only months to a year older than them, and it seemed she knew way more than they ever could about the world and magic history, even though that was a class they took in school! They wanted that type of teaching, especially with the way teachers taught classes at the school. Like giving them crumbs of a whole loaf of bread.

Juliette eyed the twins seriously for a moment, and for the first time since they met, the twins felt the power radiating off of her, not only as a dark magic witch, but as a coven leader, a woman, and someone with decades of knowledge. More than the 40 or so years that she seemed to portray on her outward appearance.

''How sure are you about doing this resurrection.''

Josie and Lizzie never broke eye contact with the witch, but they reached for each other's hands and held tight.

Josie relaxed even further when she felt JD gently lay her hand on top of hers.

''What do we need to do?'' Josie said strongly.

XxX

''Looking over the things for your spell, you two have done a good job, we honestly wouldn't need to help with the resurrection. It's the after part that worries us.''

''The Hollow.'' Josie said exhaustingly. After learning about their mother and her history not to mention theirs, and figuring out the sacrifice. The twins feel like they went down Alice's rabbit hole. _Can anything go right in their lives?_

''Yes. You put it inside of him and that was one thing. Taking it back out and destroying it or at least transferring it again, we might need to discuss.''

''We put it there, we'll transfer it into-'', Lizzie trailed off looking at Josie.

''Put the Hollow in where?'' JD asked

''We have no idea. If anything, that was the number one thing we came here to seek guidance about.'' Josie said. ''We don't want to harm an innocent, but we want this resurrection to happen, no matter how difficult.''

''Well in that case, as a service to the Originals and the Gemini Coven, we will help, but the real power you need is yourselves. You need more siphoners.''

Lizzie's eyes widened. ''I thought we were the only siphoners.''

''Technically yes. Technically no.''

''They are part siphoners. Half vampires.''

''What! We can still be siphoners and vampires!''

''Yes, you'll have to speak more to them about the particulars but get their help and we are all set. You can siphon our power for your boost, but because the spell you engineered, amazingly might I add, is for you two specifically. We aren't young siphoners. Our power is different and would only work with a different spell.''

''Right, balance.'' Lizzie nodded.

''Yes.'' JD said.

''So where are these siphoners?''

''Their names our Mary Louise and Nora. They're married and live in downtown France. About a couple hours from here, but a hop and a skip through a portal.''

''Here we go.'' Lizzie rolled her eyes, as JD slipped a note into Josie's hand.

''Good luck.''

XxX

The talk about their mother and her wolf side was still reeling in their minds as they stood on the doorstep of the siphoner vampires.

The door opened. ''Hey.'' Josie gave a little wave.

''Elizabeth. Josette.'' The two women looked shocked.

''You know us.'' They asked in unison.

''We're friends of your mother.'' The brunette said.

''Ohhh.'' Lizzie said with a shocked expression. ''So, we need your help for something.'' Lizzie said nonchalantly.

The blonde raised an eyebrow. ''Oh really, and what might that be?''

Lizzie smiled like an angel with the cruelest intentions.

Mary Louise sighed. ''You're your mothers' daughter. Come in.''

''It's been a long day with information overload, so we're gonna cut to the chase. We are bringing back the Originals, Klaus and Elijah, and we need extra siphoning power to do this, ergo, why we are on your doorstep. The Silver Coven told us where to find you. So, will you help us. We promise that as soon as you're done, we won't disclose your location to anyone or tell them where you've been or why you helped, we promise this isn't anything against you. You can go back on your merrily way to whatever you were doing before we came along, and we won't bother you again.'' Lizzie said exasperatingly.

Nora and Mary Lou looked at each other in silent communication. They knew all about this. Unbeknownst to the once Mystic Falls Gang Nora and Mary Lou have been in contact with Caroline for years. What started off as a rocky start in Mystic Falls surprisingly turned into a lifetime friendship going strong. The blonde resurrected the two after they been dead for 4 years. To say they were shocked to see the bubbly blonde, not to mention each other. They couldn't believe that Caroline would bother to resurrect people that caused her town and friends so much harm, but the blonde didn't seem to hold a grudge and had long since forgave them. They did help her afterwards with the birth of the twins.

Caroline let them feed and re-energize with their magic and she caught them up on current events of the world and the supernatural world. It was like a re-do of the time they came to Mystic Falls with their coven, but back then, they were all new and no one could catch them up, but themselves. They just didn't know where to look. Caroline made this transaction easy. They shopped, they watched, they ate, and they talked. A lot.

A friendship was born that day. It snuck up on them without realizing. One day turned to two, then a week and months. Caroline told them about the Salvatore School and Merge. They told her about their past and the coven, both in Mystic Falls and the time before with Lily and Julian. They talked about the Mystic Falls Gang and the others Bo, Valerie, and Julian.

They talked about Rik and the girls, Caroline's place in the world and in her family. They talked past relationships and boyfriends. Nora's little crush on Bonnie in the past. Mary Louise's apprehension about PDA in the 20th century and her jealousy over Bonnie.

Photographs of Caroline and girls could be seen in the household, and Nora and Mary Lou are trying to shield their mantle from the girls so they don't freak out of having their pictures in a stranger's home. Caroline told them everything about Klaus of course. Her first call after it happened was them. They stayed on the phone till she cried, talked, yelled, and completely shattered. They hung up with the order that as soon as she settled down, she had one more day to cry and rage, then she had to start making strides to healthier means of coping and grief management.

The fact that the twins were the ones to come get them for assistance instead of resurrecting the hybrid, and not Caroline themselves. They were expecting that and were prepared to help if she needed it. Caroline deserved happiness. Helping with the school not to mention supernatural world, being a mother to the twins, and having the patience to co-parent with that self-appointed morality policeman Alaric. They would have been happy to help.

The fact that the girls obviously had everything they needed, most likely just needed our help with siphoning, and they would help. They would have a talk with this Silver Coven and make sure they weren't pulling any tricks and then they would do everything in their power to protect them in this spell and make sure it doesn't go haywire or harm them.

''Alright, count us in.''

The bright smiles they gave almost made Mary Lou and Nora worry less.

_Almost._


End file.
